Family Feud
by FantasyBard
Summary: Two years after Sonata, a new threat is about to descend upon the vampires of LA. New characters with old secrets. An immortal family feud that is about to break loose. Appearence can be deceving; how can one know who to trust?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I was not going to post this until I finished my current Moonlight story, Flashes of Moonlight. However, the muse has gotten the better of me, and is making me stay awake at night thinking of this story. So, in order to get a good night's sleep, I am getting an early start. So, here it is, the continuation of Moonlight as I see it. They may have conceled the series, but they can never take away what the loyal fans might think could have happened.

A few things before we start. As in my other stories, one of the things you have to know is that I think Sarah Whitley managed to survive her turning and has been with Josef ever since the 1950's, and has changed her name to Karlie Dashwood. Obviously, she and Josef are a couple and of course, so are Mick and Beth (anyone who thinks otherwise seriously needs to be checked by liscenced therapist). Secondly, this story takes place two years after Sonata (Though I have not finished Flashes of Moonlight as of this posting, thre are no major spoilers. Everything will happen pretty much as it did in the original series, only with an added character). Now we all know that Benjamin Talbot received the infamous list at the end of Sonata, but for the purposes of my creative endeavours, I have decided that I will not be pursuing that storyline. Just pretend that the list was never received and the vampires who live in LA are safe in their secercy.

Now for the disclaimer, because I don't want to get sued. I do not own anything. Moonlight belongs to CBS, who really should have continued it for at least five more seasons. This is strictly for entertainment purposes, and I am making no money or profit whatsoever from it.

Lastly, Family Feud is rated T for scenes of vampire violence and vampire sensuality.

Now, without further ado or delay, the long awaited sequal (as I see it), to the Moonlight series.

Prologue I: Old Friend

Los Angeles, the city of angels, famous for its beaches, its high life and an abundance of movie stars. But, how many of its human inhabitants and the thousands of yearly visitors would have guessed that LA was famous for quite another reason, though unknown to all but a few privileged mortals? In the city of LA, the undead walked among the living.

Vampires were common, more so than even the more superstitious might have thought. Los Angeles was a hot-spot in the United States, vamps who moved there knew that they would be safe, and still able to interact with the human world. The Elder of the city, Josef Kostan, though over four hundred years old, had the good sense to know that in order to survive, vampires had to adapt to modern times. There were some Elders so bound by tradition that they lost a good deal of their city's population. Not Josef, he enjoyed a thriving populace, which, if the people of Los Angeles were aware of it or not, contributed strongly to the overall economy.

There were a number of establishments which catered to vampires and humans alike, one such was the club Twilight and Dusk, and it just so happened that it ws the favorite haunt of one of the city's most important vampire residents, Amanda Greyson, one of The Cleaners on the LA scene.

Things had been quiet these past few years. There were the usual late-night calls, the occasional rogues that had to be dealt with, but other then that, nothing nearing the potential disaster of the Monahan incident two years before. Amanda enjoyed her work, but not even she particularly liked it when there was a serious emergency.

It was her night off, and she had come to Twilight and Dusk, her favorite vamp bar in the area. She was a familiar face at the establishment and the proprietor, a vampire names George, knew her very well. He greeted her with a smile as she came up to the bar counter. "Well, Amanda Greyson has chosen to grace us with her presence once more."

"It's not like it's a surprise." Said Amanda, "I come here nearly every week when I'm not on-duty."

"I'm just glad that you're never here when your _on_ duty." Said George, "Don't take it as, Amanda, but I happen to prefer it when you don't have a posse following you everywhere."

"It's a part of the job." Said Amanda, "And you're never had to deal with my posse, as you call it. Twilight and Dusk has never had a mishap."

"And if it ever should, which hopefully it won't, I'll make sure that it happens when you're on duty. That partner of yours is too tough for me."

Amanda nodded non-commitally, but made no answer. This was not the first time that she had heard complaints about Tina Ferris, the other Cleaner who worked LA and the surrounding region. It was not job which she did badly, for Tina left all of her sights spotless. Rather, it was the way in which she did. Tina was the very personification of ice. She was unbending and strict, downright harsh at times, even for a Cleaner. Though Amanda knew vamps in her line of work had to be tough, yet even she knew when to give a little leeway. Nonetheless, there was little she could do. In the end, all she could do was her job, and do it well enough where no one would have cause to complain. What the others chose to do with it, she couldn't control.

"But I know you don't come here too talk about the job." Said George, interrupting her thoughts. "Will it be the usual then?"

Amanda smiled, "You know me to well, George."

"It's not a question of knowing you. You have ordered the same thing first without fail ever since I have known you. Scotch, with B Negative…"

"And just a touch of A Positive." A new voice finished for the bartender.

Both Amanda and George looked to their left and saw that they had been joined by a third vampire. He was much older than either of them, at least 350 years old or thereabouts. He was tall and broad-shouldered. His features were delicate, aristocratic, better suited to another age, but no less attractive because of their unique quality. His hair was dark and wavy, and his eyes were piercingly blue. Amanda knew him at once and her first reaction was on of startled surprise. "Luke Duvall, what a surprise."

The older vampire smiled. "Hello, Tabitha, it's been a long time."

"It's Amanda Greyson now, actually." Said Amanda, matter-of-factly. After nearly eighty years, it was no surprise that she had changed her name since she had last seen this old friend, and he accepted it without blinking.

"Amanda, I must say that it suits you."

George had been preparing her drink during this exchange and he brought it her now. He looked at the vampire. "Refill for you, then?"

"Yes, bourbon, straight up." George was always one to treat Amanda's friends with the utmost courtesy, quickly refilled his glass and discreetly left the two of them alone.

"I've undergone a name change myself." Said the older vampire. "It's Carlisle, now."

Amanda regarded him with raised eyebrows. "You mean, Carlisle Duvall." He nodded. "Going by your real name in LA; that could be dangerous, you know. If Josef finds out…"

"He wouldn't be able to do much. I'm well aware of what he thinks I've done, but it has never been proven and no accusation ever made. He can't stop me living here as long as I keep quiet and don't get mixed up in any trouble. Unless Josef had undergone a particularly radical change, I know he is not one to make judgments of life and death based upon mere hear-say.

"Still, hw won't like it. Josef has a lot of eyes in this city."

"And do you know how many Carlisle Duvalls there are in the Los Angeles? Quite a few more than you might think. Besides, I intend to live fairly quietly here. I have no wish to stir Josef's ire. My work demands that I stay here though, so there is not much I can do."

"Still in medicine then, I take it?"

"Yes, though not as a practicing, more research now. I graduated with honors from Harvard about five years ago, that makes the third time in the past 150 years. Right now, I'm down here with a joint cooperation of several medical colleges and hospitals researching cures for various types of blood diseases."

Amanda had to shake her head. "Honestly, Carlisle. I thought you being a field doctor in the World Wars was risky. Now you're researching blood?"

"Why not? It's something that I am intimately acquainted with, and it always helps to study something you know. What about you? Still in the Cleaner business?"

"Could you honestly see me as doing anything else?"

"Well, there were the decades when you were a saloon keeper in the old west."

"When I needed a cover for my Cleaning activities. Of course, they didn't call it that back then. You wouldn't believe how much easier it is not that everyone has a cell phone and we don't have to go hunting in random places for the mistakes which vampires make."

"I heard there was an incident here about two years ago."

"Yes, we had to break a vamp out of jail when she threatened to expose the community of vampires to the authorities."

"Then I suppose that I can guess the outcome." Both of them were well aware of what was necessary during such situations. Vampire justice was sometimes harsh, and never pleasant to dispense. Unfortunately, it had to be done.

"To be quite truthful, I don't know much of the particulars. The other Cleaner who works the LA city handled that case, and she doesn't like sharing information."

"I take it your not the best of friends then?" said Carlisle.

"That is an understatement." Said Amanda with a smile. The two laughed, and Amanda said, "It's good to see you again, Carlisle."

"You to, Amanda. It has been far too long."

"Please be careful in Los Angeles. I would hate for anything to happen to you."

Carlisle regarded her with a smile, a merry light dancing in his blue eyes. "If I didn't know you better, Amanda, I would say you were worried about me."

Amanda laughed and shook her head. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Well, there is a first time for everything." He downed his drink, and said, "And on that note, I'm afraid that I have to leave. I have some business to attend too."

"Just like you to skip out early on a first date."

"Was this a date then?"

"It was too short to be called much of anything."

"Well, we'll have to do something about that." He said, as he wrote something down on one of the napkins and slid it over to her. "Can I expect to see you again sometime?"

Amanda looked at the scrawled address on the napkin, then up at Carlisle's earnest face. "I might stop by, should I happen to be in the neighborhood."

Carlisle smiled. "Then I shall look forward to It." With the grace of a long-time courtier, he took one of her hands and kissed it. "Until we meet once more." And he was gone before she could say another word.

* * *

Prologue 2: New Enemy

Meanwhile, across town, at the mansion of Josef Kostan, Karlie Dashwood was enjoying a night all to herself. Her husband was in Miami at a conference where his actual presence was needed instead of an associate, which was what he normally did. Karlie was normally in the office on this night of week, but she had decided that she had earned herself a break, so she had stayed in and did as she pleased with her time.

It was 2:00 in the morning. She had become lost in reading the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with the music of Debussy floating in the background. It was soothing, or at least, it should have been. However, she suddenly sensed it, a foreboding at the back of her mind, a feeling that she was not alone. She sat up straighter and listened, turning off the stereo with the remote. An eerie silence settled over the room, and Karlie could not deny the shiver which ran down her spine. What was going on? Even the mansion at its emptiest would never have made her this ill at ease, and the mansion was never empty anyway, as there was always at least some security around the place even when Josef was absent.

She was trying to understand what her sense of foreboding meant (for she knew better than to ignore something that was so out of the ordinary), when she heard it. It was not a sound that any human would have been able to detect, but Karlie's advanced hearing picked it up with no trouble at all. It sounded like footsteps, shifting of papers, the soft beeping of technology. She inhaled, but she sensed nothing. However, the sounds, which seemed to be coming from Josef's private office on the same floor did not let up, in fact they merely seemed to increase. So, that was what her instincts were trying to warn her of, there were intruders in the mansion.

This naturally did not make her feel much better. Even with an unexpected visitor, they would have been announced, and who would be trying to root around in Josef's private office. Normally, the security would have picked up something suspicious before they had even set foot on the grounds. What was going on?

Karlie did not have any other choice but to try and investigate. She rose slowly and walked through the empty mansion halls, making not a sound as she approached her husband's office. In the den that was just outside the office, she received her first real surprise. Security had indeed been present, but they were no longer able to do anything about the intruders. The two guards had been staked and when Karlie bent down to make sure they were unhurt, she was surprised to find them unconscious. Hardly anything could truly knock out a vamp, perhaps only a large amount of silver, but certainly not just a stake through the heart.

There was nothing she could do for them. She was not a doctor or a nurse and they did not appear to be injured beyond the stakes. And besides, there were the sounds that were coming from the office, growing louder and more insistent. She came towards the door, cautiously, trying to not make any noise. She pushed it open slightly, and peered inside the room, and was shocked to see three vampires gathered around Josef's computer. From this range, she should have been able to smell them, and yet, if it had not been for the slight noise or the fact that she was looking straight at them, they might as well have not been there. She could not smell them at all.

The vampires seemed as surprised by her appeareance as she was to see them. for a moment, no one seemd able to move, which was perhaps for the best. She would not have been so much a fool to think that she would have been able to take on three vampires on her own, but she was trying to decide on her next course of action when she suddenly felt herself being grabbed from behind by a strong pair of arms, which held her fast despite her struggles. And then she felt the stake being driven into her back, felt her limbs become numb and unresponsive, before being pushed to the ground. Karlie had never been staked before; she had never thought that it would hurt so much. But what was worse, was the feeling of utter helplessness she now felt. She had landed with her back to the intruders, so she had no idea what they looked like, nor what they smelled like, since her attacker had no scent either. All she had to go by was her ears, and so she strained to catch everything that passed, and this was what she heard.

"What did I tell you about raising some sort of alarm?" The voice was that of her attacker, and he did not seem pleased.

"We didn't know that she was here, sir." Said one of those who had been by Josef's desk, and judging by the tone of his voice, it was obvious from the way he spoke that her attacker was the leader, and a very old leader at that. "Didn't she say that there would be no one here tonight?"

"Yes, she did," Came the voice of the leader, "and I shall have to take that up with her. Never mind that for just right now, however. We have planned this too long to be stopped. Christopher, have you gotten what we came in for?"

"Yes, I did, though it was more difficult than I ever anticipated it to be. Kostan has some of the most advanced fire walls and protection on his system than I ever saw. I had to bypass the-"

"I'm sure it's fascinating, Christopher, but save the specifics for when we have more time. Did you get the end results that we needed?"

"Yep, everything. The phone numbers of the people you asked for, as well the e-mail addresses. I also have the class schedule for Miss Turner. We'll be able to follow her wherever she goes now, as well as knowing the extent of any communication that passes between the main players as we proceed with our plans."

"Good, Christopher. You are the genius, as always. We need only a few more pieces to bring this all together. We are ready to begin."

"What are we going to do with her?" asked a third voice, "Kill her, I suppose."

"Nonsense, have I taught you nothing, Gaston? We were not going to bring Josef into this, not this violently and not this soon. He knows that my family moves in subtler ways. No, we set out tonight to show that someone had broken in, and that is exactly how we will leave it."

"But, sir," said the third voice, "we have no way of knowing what she saw."

"Quite true; that is a problem that will have to be rectified before we leave. Your certain that the guards outside did not see you?"

"No, we staked them before they even caught sight of us."

"And I have just come from the outer perimeter, all is quiet there. It is only this one that we have to worry about. So, we will simply erase all memory that we were ever here."

"You're going to use the compound? That hasn't been tested yet."

"And what better time than now?" Karlie heard the leader kneel down behind her, and felt raw panic clawing at her stomach. She felt like she had to do something and yet her limbs remained immobile. The leader whispered in her ear. "I must give you my thanks, Miss Dashwood, though I know you will not remember them. I have been waiting for an opportunity to test this, and you have so obligingly provided us with one. I only regret that you will not be able to give regards to Josef the next time that you see him."

No sooner had he said those words then Karlie felt her skin being pierced by a small pin-prick of fire, and as much as she clung to the memories and to the light, it was all in vain, and the darkness soon swept away everything, leaving her in emptiness.

* * *

Well, there is the first chapter done with. Please read and review (no flames please, they will be deleted from memory).

Next chapter: In Miami, Josef receives a rude awakening. A panicked phone call to Mick will set the wheels of the mystery moving. And Josef receives a surprise visitor from his past, a vampire essential to who he is, and who has information that Josef will not be able to ignore.


	2. Personal Request

Personal Request:

_Simultaneous_

_Miami, Florida_

"Karlie!" Josef cried out her name in her sleep and came awake before he knew fully what was happening. He sat up so quickly that he rather forgot he was in an enclosed freezer and banged his head hard on the lid.

For a few seconds, he lay panting, trying to understand what it was that had awakened him. He had not been dreaming, but what he was feeling right now was akin to waking up from a terrible nightmare. Dread seemed to encompass his entire body, there was a stabbing pain in his chest, the phantom feeling of being staked in the heart.

And above all else, the thought that was quickly becoming certain: something terrible was happening at home, Karlie was in danger.

_Los Angeles _

Mick had been working late that night, updating a few of the recent cases he had been on and completed over the last few months. He hadn't been expecting Josef to call, nor had he expected to hear the unadulterated panic in his friend's tone the very instant that he answered. "Mick, listen to me, I need you to go to the mansion and see, Karlie."

Mick blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't question me, Mick, not this time. I need you to make sure that Karlie is all right."

"Whoa, slow down, Josef. What are you talking about?"

"Mick, I think Karlie's in trouble. I tried her cell phone four times, already, but she's not answering and she always does."

"Well, maybe she wanted an evening away from you. I mean, you're married to her Josef. That means sometimes you're not going to be irresistable."

"Don't make jokes, Mick. I know Karlie, she wouldn't do this. She would still answer, even if it was just to tell me to shut up."

"So, let me get this straight; you expect me to just drop whatever I'm doing and drive to your mansion for the sole purpose of satisfying your paranoia?"

He heard Josef take a deep breath, as if trying to steady himself before he said. "Mick, please, when have I ever asked for anything personal, in all the years we've known each other? I'm asking this now. Please, go and see Karlie."

Mick had never heard Josef ask for anything so humbly. He knew that Josef was not used to asking something like this. Skeptical as he was, he would have been hard-pressed to deny Josef now.

"Fine, but you owe me one, pal. And when I see Karlie, you can be sure that we won't let you forget this when you get back."

"I'll take whatever you want to give me. Just make sure that she's all right."

* * *

Mick drove to Josef's mansion. He had been certain that Josef's paranoia was groundless, that he would find Karlie safe and sound and the two would have a good laugh about it.

However, from almost the moment he arrived at the mansion, his senses were immediately on alert as to all the things which were wrong with the situation. Josef's normally tight security seemed oddly relaxed tonight. Granted, they did take pains to stay in the background, but it was visible enough so that anyone who was no necessarily friendly would be ill at ease. Tonight, the mansion seemed to quiet, too exposed, perhaps open to unseen dangers.

However, the very instant that he stepped into the mansion, he was bombarded by images from the past thirty minutes. The mansion had indeed been violated, he sensed that a skirmish had taken place in Josef's private office, and Karlie, going to investigate, had walked straight into trouble. Damn, if Josef's paranoia had not been right once again.

Mick wasted no time; he rushed through the mansion, getting to Josef's office in under a minute and a half. There in the hall way, he saw the staked guards. That in and of itself would have been serious. But what was even more so was that he had somehow been rendered unconscious. Mick, after removing the stakes, found that there was no sign of external injury. But being stabbed by a stake only caused paralysis; it wasn't supposed to knock a vampire out cold. Indeed, it was a well known fact that there were very few substances which could cause unconsciousness in a vampire, they didn't have that luxury which humans did when faced with too much pain. It would have been nice sometimes, though.

However, he smelled that the unfortunate guards were not the only ones who had experienced this fate. His heart sank, as he went to the door of Josef's office and pushed it open. He had to take a step back at the images which assaulted him. Here was the focal point of the intrusion, he was sure of it, but the room was completely spotless, and though Mick could get a glimpse of the people who had broken in, yet he could not see them clearly and there was no scent to give him any clue as to the number or age of the vampires who had been there.

But of most immediate concern to him was Karlie, sprawled on the floor with a stake in her back, totally unresponsive at Mick's attempts to waken her. Mick knew what he had to do. He couldn't handle this on his own; he would have to call for back up. Taking out his cell phone he dialed the number for The Cleaners. He could only hope that by the time they got there, Karlie would be conscious, and she would be able to give them some more answers.

* * *

In Miami, Josef was pacing the length of his hotel room like a caged jaguar. He hadn't heard anything from Mick, and though he knew that he couldn't possibly have learned anything yet, the suspense was almost killing him. The nagging feeling that Karlie was in some sort of danger had not left him, and as long as he remained in the dark, he knew that he would be getting no peace.

He had just complete what was his six hundredth circuit of the room, when a knock at his door interrupted the tense silence that he had wrapped himself up in. He stopped dead in his tracks, and growled, initially thinking about doing some rather unpleasant things to the person that was intruding at such a bad time. But, then the smell hit him. His mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of Karlie that it would have been difficult for any outside influence to tear him away from the one he was bonded too.

However, there were other bonds in Josef's life, and though they were perhaps not as strong, yet they were essential to who he was.

Josef could never forget that scent, nor the connection that it spoke to such a deep part of his psyche. It brought him back, for an instant, to a muddy, cold night over four hundred years before, the night when life had ceased, and immortal existence had begun. Josef knew who was at his door, even before he opened it. But he could not understand why or now, of all times, their paths should now intersect.

He opened the door. On the other side was a vampire, who looked like he had been turned in his early to mid forties. He had brown hair that was streaked with gray. His eyes were also grey and bespoke of many centuries, almost six of them to be exact.

Josef could not disguise his surprise, and all he could was say the other vampire's name. "Frederic?"

The older vampire smiled. "Hello, Josef," replied Frederic, the vampire who had sired Josef, "It's been a long time."

* * *

Wow, a new ingriedient has already been added to the mix. I always have wanted to meet Josef's sire, and this was an opportunity to do it. Please, read and review.

Next chapter: Karlie awakens with muttled memories of what happened. And there is definite tension between the two Cleaners of Los Angeles, an event which will have more than a few consequences in the upcoming drama.


	3. Hidden Memory

Hidden Memory:

The first thing that Karlie saw when she finally recovered consciousness was Mick's concerned face hovering over her. "Karlie, are you all right?"

"I-I think so." She slowly rose to a sitting position and let out a small groan, "Oh, God, I forgot how much migraines can hurt." She looked around her and saw that she had been moved back to the den during the interim when she had been unconscious. Besides Mick, there was also The Cleaner Tina Ferris standing a little ways off from them. Her severe black uniform, the standard uniform it seemed of Cleaners everywhere, made Tina's features seem even more angular and unpleasant. The effect was not helped by the perpetual scowl implanted on Tina's face. Karlie was not exactly comforted to se her there. "What happened?" she asked.

"We were actually hoping you could tell us that." said Mick, "I found you unconscious on the floor in Josef's office about an hour ago. Do you have any idea as to who broke in?"

Karlie looked at Mick in confusion. "Broke in? What are you talking about?"

Before Mick could answer, Tina broke in sharply and impatiently. "The people who broke into Josef's office. We found signs of a break-in along the border of the security fence. The cameras were shut off and the guards staked. And you were staked in his office, so you must have seen something."

Mick held out a placating hand to Tina. "Tina, calm down. She can't answer your questions when she's still half-dazed."

Karlie struggled to remember the events of the last few hours, but it seemed as if those memories were deliberately foggy and aggravatingly unclear. "I-I don't know. I remember sensing that something strange was going on. But, nothing else."

"You must remember something." Pressed Tina.

"Tina, if I remembered something, I would be telling you. Do you think I enjoy knowing that someone broke into Josef's office and not being able to help you catch the people who did it?"

"Calm down, both of you." said Mick, "We won't get anywhere if we argue amongst ourselves. Karlie, don't worry about this. You'll probably remember something in a few hours. Tina, I suggest, you and your guys question the guards to see if anyone saw anything."

"What about the ones who were staked and unconscious?" questioned Tina.

"They're still pretty under, but if Karlie is awake, they should be coming around fairly soon."

"Good, I'll see if they are awake. I'll want to question them, too." Tina turned without another word or glance and swept out of the room.

Karlie scowled after her. "Even for a Cleaner, she has a way of grating on my nerves."

"Yeah, but she's good at what she does."

"Do you have any idea what happened, since I can't seem to remember the details." Asked Karlie.

Mick shook his head. "Not much. Two guards were staked in Josef's main office, and there two more at the entrance. Nothing was heard by anyone else, nothing seen. The records show that no alarms went off either. It's like they just strolled in here like they owned the place."

"Was anything taken?"

"That's even more confusing, Karlie, nothing is gone, nothing. Whoever set this up went to a great deal of trouble to cover their tracks only to walk away with nothing."

Karlie also shared Mick's confusion. There certainly didn't seem to be much logic to any such motion. And she felt frustrated to remember nothing, when she might have been a help otherwise.

At that very moment, Amanda Greyson appeared. She was in plane clothes, so it was obvious that she had not been on duty that night. Regardless, Karlie was a little relieved to see her. "Karlie, are you all right?"

"Yes, I am, I think."

"What happened? Mick said that there was a break-in."

"Apparently there was, but I have to confess, I really don't remember all that much for some reason."

"She was unconscious." Reported Mick, "So were five others. I think that whatever drug they were injected with is playing with their memories."

"It must have been a pretty powerful drug to knock out a vamp." Said Amanda, "Do you know anything else?"

"No, we don't." Tina had returned just in time to hear the last comment of her colleague. She did not seem pleased to see Amanda there, and her face said as much, just as much as her voice did. "What are you doing here, Amanda? You're off tonight."

"Mick called me." said Amanda, defensively, "He said that this was a serious matter that required both of our attentions, and frankly, I agree with him."

"You weren't the one on call tonight; I was the first one on the scene, this is my case, not yours. Your presence is not required."

Amanda's temper flared. "The house of the Elder of this city is broken into and you think I shouldn't be concerned?"

"Stop it, you two!" Karlie ordered, and she seemed to have gotten her over initial grogginess, and was more in control of herself. "You sound like two squabbling toddlers arguing over two identical toys. Tina, Amanda is right; this is not an ordinary case, and you need to keep her updated as you work on this. On the other hand, we don't know that much yet. We're going to need someone working the regular shifts until we have more to go on. Amanda, do you think that you could take on more of Tina's shifts while she works on this?" Karlie's was not the equal of years to either Tina or Amanda. However, she was the wife of the Elder, which gave her a little more dominance in these sorts of situations, when desicive action was called for. In the absence of her husband, Karlie had taken over.

As such, the two Cleaners were obliged to listen to her. Amanda nodded, "Yes, I think that I can arrange that."

"Good." Said Karlie, turning to Tina, "I would like you to stay here until the rest of the guards wake up, maybe they will be able to tell you more than I can."

"Let's hope." Intoned Tina, sarcastically, before she glided out of the room.

Karlie looked after her with a slightly curled lip, but decided to let the comment pass. She then looked back at Amanda. "I'm sorry that this broke up your night off, Amanda. I hope that we didn't a hot date or anything."

Amanda, who looked as if she were deep in thought, looked up when she said this and for a moment, Karlie thought that she saw something that made her think that a troubling comprehension was beginning to dawn on Amanda, but it quickly vanished, and so Karlie was not sure. "No, you didn't interrupt anything to terribly important."

"Well, thank you for coming out here, but I really don't know what else you could do. Go back to your plans. This could be your last night out in awhile."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Good night, Karlie. Feel better soon."

"I'll certainly try." Muttered Karlie, as she left. She was feeling immoderately tired, probably side effect of the drug.

Mick could see that she was flagging. "You need some freezer time." he said, "You go on, I'll take care of things here."

"Thanks, Mick." She started to leave, but than stopped and turned around, as if she had just thought of something. "By the way, Mick, in all the excitement, I forgot to ask: what happened to bring you here this evening? Was it just a whim?"

"No, I wasn't planning on it, I just got a call from Josef and he said-" Mick's eyes suddenly bugged out and he said, "Oh, damn, I forgot. I was supposed to call him. He's probably breaking in the walls of his hotel room."

"You had better call him then. We would hate to make the hotel staff unhappy."

Mick quickly got out his phone and called Josef. "Josef," Josef's response was somewhat irate, and it was plain that he had noticed Mick's failure to call. "Josef, will you calm down for two seconds? Yes, I did come over here. Yes, something had happened. Karlie was staked and unconscious." This caused Josef to erupt into a series of curses, some of which was in English, but others sounded like his native German. Mick winced and held the phone away from his ear for a moment. "Josef, do you have that out your system. Of course, she's all right. But Josef there's more. Someone broke into your house; we don't really know anything beyond that. You had better get back here, quick." Mick listened to what Josef was saying on the other end. His eyes registered surprise and he said, "What do you mean, both of you? What? Josef, you're breaking up. Hello?" Mick looked at the phone for a moment, before he looked at Karlie, "We were cut off. His plane must be taking off from Miami."

"He's already on his way? I didn't know he could be that paranoid."

"I don't know. He said something weird before we were cut off. He said 'we're already on the way.'"

"We?"

"Hey, don't look at me. Josef is apparently not alone."

Karlie shook her head. Ordinarily, she would have been more curious about Josef's odd words, but she was too bone tied at the moment to even think about that. "You know, I really can't focus. We'll just leave it at that."

Mick came forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest. You have the Cleaners and the rest of the guards on high alert now. I don't think that there will be anymore trouble tonight."

Karlie smiled. "Thanks for coming out here, Mick. I'll let you know when Josef comes home."

"I'll depend on that. Whoever did this, I'll do everything I can to help you track him down."

* * *

Please read and review

Next chapter: Mick fills Beth in the events of the night, but tender moments are seen by those who do not view these two as the perfect couple, but as an abombination and an insult.


	4. Breakfast Date

Breakfast Date:

By the time that Mick got back to his apartment, it was almost nine thirty. He had had a rough night and had been looking forward to directly hitting the freezer. Imagine his surprise when he walked into the living room, and saw that Beth was sitting on one of the couches, apparently waiting for him. "Beth, what are you doing here?"

Beth got up and looked at him. "Mick, it's Friday, remember?" She didn't seem too angry, the question was asked out of good-natured annoyance.

For a moment, Mick was drawing a blank, and then it him. "Oh, I completely forgot, we're supposed to be having breakfast right now."

"Great, Mick, got it on the first try, luckily for you my 10:00 class was canceled, so we still have time to get a coffee."

"Beth, I'm sorry. It went completely out of my mind."

Beth, seeing that this was no stereotypical case of male forgetfulness, began to grow concerned. "Mick, are you all right? You look kind of distracted. Did you have a rough night or something?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Come on, let's go get you coffee and a doughnut or something before you pass out. We need to keep you healthy if you're going keep those grades up."

Beth had to laugh when Mick said this. "You sound just like my mom, only she insisted that I have those terrible bran oat flakes every morning for school. I think they did me more harm than good."

"Well, the coffee and doughnuts probably won't help much, but the sugar and caffeine will at least keep you perky."

"I've got you for that." said Beth, giving him a little peck on the cheek as the two of them headed out the door.

Beth and Mick had been going fairly steady over the past two years. They tried to take each day, each week, and each month as it came. Anything beyond that, they left for itself to take care of. The issue of turning was sometimes brought up. But despite the fact that they were both in different places than they had been even when they had first met, Mick still had trouble contemplating turning Beth, and Beth was not sure she was ready to give up being human.

However, despite that little snag (which only came up once every six months to warrant attention), Beth and Mick had been as happy and content as they could ever remember being, especially Mick. Who would have ever thought that he would be able to find happiness in his vampire life? He had never believed that just because he was a vampire, didn't mean that he had to spend forever alone. Beth had done more for him than he had ever thought possible. There were still some issues that he struggled with, but, he was a far different man than he had been before Beth came into his life. Perhaps the greatest gift of all that she had given him was the ability to accept himself. Beth totally accepted Mick as a vampire; it did not matter to her. That, in turn, had made Mick think that even if he was not a human, that did not mean that he had to think of himself as a monster.

Of course, Beth was well matched too. Mick made her feel safe and happy, and those things still meant a lot to her, just as much in adulthood as they had when she had been a child, and had imagined her unseen guardian angel, never dreaming that she would one day be dating him. Plus, it helped that Mick was still that old school gentleman that were as rare as hen's teeth. She could not help being charmed at the way he would open the door for her, allow her to go through first or the way he pulled her chair at restaurants, totally without thinking about it, it was just the way that he had been brought up. It would have been a strange woman indeed who would not have been moved by such attentions, nor the lopsided grin which was a much more common sight on Mick nowadays.

There could be little doubt as to the happiness of Mick and Beth. The only question was which one was the happier, and that would have been a hard question to answer. Anyone who saw them together, especially Beth's female classmates, all thought that they were absolutely adorable together and they were the perfect couple. Inevitably, Beth was always being asked if Mick had any brothers.

Mick had also been totally supportive of Beth in academic pursuits. Having taken Karlie's advice of nearly two years before, Beth had decided to pursue her dream career of becoming a free-lance journalist (AN this is a slight spoiler alert for an upcoming Flashes of Moonlight chapter. I don't think that Beth would really want to stay with the DA's office after what happened with Emma, and I also think that she would be happiest working independantly. So, this is what I came up with). She had been attending classes in order to get her Master's Degree. She had surprised even herself with how good she was doing. In another six months she would be graduating, with possible honors. Mick, of course, was the proudest of anyone.

They had a date to have breakfast together every Friday morning. Mick usually met her at 8:00. Of course, events of the previous night had rather distracted him. Being with Beth was infinitely more pleasant than trying to figure out why exactly someone had broken into Josef's mansion, and yet the question would probably not be out of Mick's thoughts for very long.

They went into a nearby Starbucks, and though Mick got Beth the coffee, he didn't get her the doughnut, a blueberry muffin served just as well. When they were settled at a table outside the small coffee shop, Mick admitted point blank to Beth, "The truth is, someone broke into Josef's mansion last night."

Beth nearly choked on her muffin she was so surprised. "Someone actually broke in?"

"Yeah, right to his private office apparently."

"How is that possible? You've told me about the security Josef has. You always made it sound like a fly couldn't creep in without setting off an alarm."

"That's true, in a way. But someone did, and there aren't any clues as to who did it or what they might be after."

"Was anyone there?"

"Besides, security, Karlie." Beth's eyes flashed with concern at the mention of Karlie, and Mick hurried to reassure her before she jumped to hasty conclusions. "She's fine, Beth. She was staked, but a day in the freezer and she'll be back to normal in no time."

Beth was still a little anxious for Karlie, who was her best friend. But, she also knew that vampires healed quickly, and had a higher tolerance for such injuries than did humans. If Mick said that she would be all right, than Beth knew that she could trust him. Still, she would want to pay a visit to Karlie soon, just to be sure for herself. "Was she able to tell you anything?"

"That's the weird thing. It seems that Karlie can't remember anything definite about what happened, no descriptions, no voices, nothing. It's like her entire memory of that last hour was wiped out."

"What about you? Couldn't you see anything?"

Mick shook his head, "The Cleaners and I were only able to get a partial picture, nothing that we can really go on for the time being. The thing is that we couldn't smell the vamps that were there at all. If it hadn't been for the staked guards and Karlie, we might never have known that anybody had even broken in."

"You couldn't smell anything at all?"

Mick shook his head. "Nope, not a thing. And without the smell or any sort of images that we can track back to another source, we're pretty much stuck."

"I'm sure that Josef won't be too happy about this."

"He wasn't. He called me at three o'clock in the morning last night, more agitated than I'd ever heard him. Apparently that bond he and Karlie share was able to alert him to the fact that she was in trouble. He's probably the one who we can credit with alerting us to this break-in in the first place."

"And as Josef loves taking the credit for anything, that will no doubt make him very happy." Said Beth, "I'm surprised that he's not already here, considering that Karlie was in danger."

"Bad storms in Miami," Mick explained, "He wasn't able to take off until an hour, and I think that he might be taking some detours."

Beth raised her eyebrows. "You mean Josef can't control the weather?"

Mick found himself laughing despite the serious subject matter. That was another thing that Beth helped to do, to relax and get so uptight about the things he couldn't change. "Only in LA, I'm afraid, and not always then. There have to be some limits to everything that we can do. He should be here tonight, though."

"That will make Karlie feel better faster than anything else." said Beth. She looked at her watch and got up, "I need to leave. My next class starts in twenty minutes."

Mick immediately got up, too. "I'll drive you." he said, "And I'll pick you up tonight. We'll go out somewhere. I'll make up for having missed this morning."

"I'm going to hold you to that." said Beth, grinning, "I'm a starving college student, remember? Any offer of free food is always welcome."

"Beth, most college students your age have got a husband and a few kids to worry about, at least. You're fabulously wealthy compared to them."

"But, I'm sure that most of them don't have to put up with a vampire boyfriend."

"You make it sound like a curse."

"Only because that I can't tell the rest of my girlfriends about you. I swear that some of them who are jealous of me are scheming to get you for themselves. If they really knew the true cause of your being so irresistible, than they might think differently. Not everyone can make it with a vampire."

"You're a special case, and I'm glad to think that you think I'm irresistible, even when I forget about our breakfast dates." He put an arm around her and gave her a quick kiss. "And you don't need to worry about me straying; you're the only girl I want."

"You'd better believe it." said Beth.

The two of them left the coffee shop, both totally unmindful that they were being observed, and that they had been for the whole of their conversation. Across the street, in a nondescript black car with shaded windows (indistinguishable from the hundreds of other black cars with shaded windows one finds while spending a single day in Los Angeles), sat two men. The man sitting in the passenger side looked to be about twenty-five or thirty, with curly blonde hair and grey eyes. It was the driver though, which one would have been well to watch out for. There was an air of authority which hung about him, radiating from his slightest movement and shining in the depths of his intense eyes. Broad-shouldered and dark-haired, there could be no doubt to his being handsome. And yet, there was something in that power, in that authority which seemed so second nature to him, it could be frightening.

Not surprisingly, they were vampires, and very old vampires. They had watched the entire scene between Mick and Beth, without saying a word. However, the vampire sitting in the passenger side beside his employer could feel his master's tensions rising. Though they could hear only snatches of what passed, it was enough to cause an angry gleam to rise in his eyes, and when Mick and Beth kissed, a growl rose in his throat.

Once they had gone, he spoke, "Is that the little morsel that Mick St. John left my sister for?" He shuddered, as though the idea were perfectly distasteful to him. "Is that man blind? That pathetic little human is nothing when compared with Coraline." He smiled, grimly, "Well, before I am finished in this city, those two will certainly be dancing to a different tune. I will make Beth Turner suffer before I am done with her, and I will make St. John watch before I kill him as well."

Despite the fact that he was quite free from his master's ire and none of the threat was directed at him, the blond vampire still felt a cold shudder skating down his spine at the tone of his voice. "How do you want me to precede today, sir?"

"Follow Miss Turner wherever she goes. I want her to begin to feel that someone is breathing down her neck. I have seen what happens when former nightmares come back to plague you. Out of all the things which Miss Turner will fear, it is being watched by someone that she cannot see, someone that she cannot defend herself against."

"You know that she will tell St. John?"

"I am depending on it. We have been in this city for a month, in this country for over a year, it's time that we made our presence known. There is no telling how long I have left until my brothers find me. If they do before the time is right, all my plans will be for nothing. We will be able to monitor all communication between Kostan, St. John and all the rest, thanks to Christopher's efforts in hacking in Josef's security files and downloading all of his contacts. We will play the parties off of each other, until they destroy themselves." He glanced at his companion. "I think that we had better get you to the university, Anton. Class is about to start."

* * *

Ohh, the plot thickens, doesn't it? Please read and review and let me know what you think of this new development. I can promise you all, this is only the beginning.

Next chapter: Josef and his mysterious sire finally arrive back in LA, and not a moment to soon. Beth cannot help but notice her new watcher, and Frederic has information for them that involves an old and familiar family, one that bares the name of Duvall.


	5. New Arrivals and Strange Happenings

New Arrivals and Strange Happenings:

At 7:14 PM Pacific Standard Time, Josef Koston's private jet at last landed at the airport. It had left Miami at 8:45 AM East Coast Time. That meant that over twelve hours had passed since Josef had heard anything about Karlie. Severe storms across nearly the entire mid and south west had meant that it had taken more time than normal to fly across the country. This had really done nothing to improve Josef's outlook. Seeing Josef Koston in a bad mood was, of course, not unheard of, and when it was understood that there was an emergency back in LA concerning Karlie, than Josef's irate temper was easily understood.

What caused several people to wander was who the stranger man was that was traveling with Josef. He had just shown up with Josef on the tarmac, and Josef had ordered his crew to treat him with all due respect. Were he merely treated as another guest, he might not have aroused such curiosity, but it was not long before it could be observed that this guest was more than just a joyride guest. Josef, instead of taking the initiative as he so often did, instead seemed to take the stranger's lead. It was quite subtle, but it was noticeable nonetheless. When Josef's agitation became too much, it only took something as small as a word or a glance from the other to make him relax enough so that he didn't have a break down of some kind. Josef probably would have completely forgotten to feed in his anxiety over Karlie, if the stranger had not dropped a casual observance of the fact.

It was almost as if this new arrival were trying to take care of Josef, which was very strange behavior. Everyone who knew Josef knew that he detested being dictated too, or following orders of any kind. Though the stranger's actions were in no way demanding, yet some who saw them together thought that if anyone would have been able to influence Josef in the slightest, it would have been this man.

They were right up to a point. Frederic Braun still had Josef's well fare very much at heart. But there was still only so much that his influence could have over him after over four hundred years. It would have taken a great deal on his part to exert any control over Josef, control that he did not necessarily want to use. Frederic, unlike some sires that could be mentioned, did not believe in abusing the bond which existed between him and those he had turned.

Thusly, he could not tell Josef to stop worrying, because that would have been impossible. Although, he admitted to being slightly surprised by Josef's behavior. He had never known Josef to attach himself so completely to another creature, least of all a woman. He had not even known of Josef's marriage until a few hours ago. Even now, he was not sure just how deep the bond could be. But for some reason, he got the feeling that Josef had changed even beyond his wildest expectation since the last time they had met, which had been at least a century, if not more. All he could really do was watch Josef and offer a little well-placed advice where he could, which was probably not nearly enough, but he had to do what he could. But it was not just a relief for Josef to touch down in LA's airport. It was also something of a relief to Frederic. He had been beginning to really worry about Josef.

As they exited the plane and made their way to the limo which was waiting for them, Frederic could not help but observe to Josef, "I must say it is a miracle we managed to make it without you wearing a hole through the deck with all your anxious pacing."

"Was it that much?" said Josef, "I really didn't notice."

"At least six hours in the air, saying nothing for the amount of time we spent grounded."

"Damn mid-west weather." Muttered Josef, who really hadn't heard what Frederic was saying, "Why did this have to happen right when tornado season was at its height?"

Frederic shot Josef a glance. He would have been amused, had it not been for the fact that Josef was so totally serious that any attempt at laughter would have been nothing short of a grave insult. Nonetheless, Josef seemed to notice the strange look on Frederic's face. "What?"

"I have never seen you like this, Josef. After all of the women you've had, you've never been this concerned over one of them. You must admit, especially for me who have known you the longest, it is somewhat surprising."

Josef knew that Frederic had a point. His sire had almost dropped in a dead faint when he had told him that he was not only with someone, but had been exclusively for over fifty years. "I think that you'll understand when you see her, Frederic."

"I am hoping too. I look foreword to meeting the woman that can make you this anxious."

"You'd better get used to it, Frederic. I, for one, will not be easy until I see her."

* * *

At the beginning of that day, Beth had not noticed really anything that was out of the ordinary. Friday was normally one of her busiest days, with the most classes and the most amount of homework to keep her occupied. She was normally so busy that she had no thought as to what was going on around her.

However, it is difficult to fully forget your shadow. The longer that the day went on, Beth would begin to notice that she was not necessarily alone in her daily activities. She first began to notice it around noon, when she was eating her lunch outside on the grass of campus. She began to get the feeling that she was being watched. It took her a few minutes of looking around before she noticed a man standing under the trees a few hundred feet from where she was sitting. At first, she tried to ignore it, but the feeling of eyes boring into the back of your head is rather difficult to disregard. She turned and took a closer look at her mysterious watcher, and what she saw was not reassuring. He did not seem to move at all, he didn't seem to be even breathing. He just stood there, like an inanimate statue, a statue with a gaze that was beginning to make her increasingly uncomfortable. He seemed to pay no attention to anything else, like she was the only thing that existed.

Mick would often look at her like that, but when he did it, it made her feel special, safe, loved. This singular gaze made her feel like she was being stalked and she did not like the feeling.

Her uneasiness did not let up with the rest of the afternoon. It seemed that wherever she went, there the man was, always at a distance, and yet always watching her; he would be waiting for her around the corner as she exited a classroom, would follow her every step no matter where she went or how many turns she tried to take to lose him. Even when she was in the library attempting to study, she thought she would catch glimpses of him through the stacks as she was looking for books.

Naturally, anyone, especially a woman, would have been freaked out by this series of events. But Beth, having been kidnapped at such a young age, had, for many years, been leery of strangers. She had always known that her angel would protect her, and she had eventually learned to put her fears behind her. Still, she did not like to be reminded of those dark times. The feeling of being stalked by this mysteriously sinister man made her tremble with fear.

During her last class, her stalker seemed to disappear, for he was not waiting for her when she got out of the classroom. Her relief cannot be measured, not her elation that she had gotten a text from Mick telling her that he was in the parking lot waiting for her. Afraid that the stalker might somehow show up again, she practically ran out of the building and to Mick.

He was somewhat surprised to see Beth nearly bolting out of the building and even more surprised when she ran into his arms with evident relief. Before he could asked her what was the heck was going on, it all came from Beth in a rush. "Mick, someone has been following me all day. He was there whenever I got out of class, I could swear I saw him the library, and he just stared at me from a distance all the time that I was on break, and-"

"Beth, whoa, slow down. Try and stay calm, all right?" He could see that she had received a terrible fright that day and before anything could be done, she would have to become a little calmer. Of course, the very suggestion that anyone would follow Beth with nefarious intentions made him sick with worry, but he couldn't let her see that just yet. He hugged her tightly, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You're safe, you're with me, no one's going to hurt you, I promise."

Beth immediately felt safer in Mick's strong arms. She tried to ease her heartbeat and took several deep breaths. After a few minutes, Mick said, "Now, start at the beginning, tell me everything."

Beth told Mick what she had seen from her stalker that day. Mick's face grew darker the more that he heard, but nothing could have prepared him for the very last thing that she said. "And Mick, I'm almost certain that he was a vampire."

"A vampire? You're certain?"

"Yes, Mick. It was in everything he did, the way he walked, the way he moved. I'm certain at times that he wasn't even breathing."

Mick's face grew serious, and a low growl seemed to rumble up deep within his chest. He didn't like this. Only twenty-four hours ago, Josef's house had been broken into by strange vampires. Now Beth said that she had been followed all that day by a vampire that she didn't know. Something told him that none of this was a coincidence.

"Come on." He said, he took her by the waist and led her around to her side of the car. He was clearly afraid of letting her out of his grasp for one instant. "We're going to Josef's house. I just got a phone call from him, and he's back in town. His plane landed just an hour ago. Something tells me that he will want to know this."

* * *

Josef's limousine pulled up to the front door of the mansion at 8:00. Josef practically jumped out the door almost before it stopped moving. Frederic, who knew that Josef had done quite well for himself, yet had to admit that he was impressed by what Josef had been able to accomplish. His sharp eye, which had seen many centuries of architecture and art (both good and bad examples), was pleased to see that Josef had not gone for anything tacky; though ostentatious in some respects, Josef's taste had remained classy.

Even though Frederic was struck with his surroundings, he did not have time to admire them as long as he would have liked. Josef immediately went to the stairs and was heading up them, when Frederic called after him, "Josef, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Karlie."

"She can't be up yet, can she? She won't even know that you're here."

"Yes, she is. I'm sure of it. I would say I'm sorry to leave you here like this, but I must be frank when I say that my wife is taking precedence right now. Help yourself to some blood in the den."

Frederic was left on his own, and he shook his head in slight bewilderment. "I really need to meet this woman. Josef has never acted like this before."

* * *

Karlie had been sleeping for most of the day, but when she sensed Josef's presence in the house, she came awake at once. "Josef." She murmured, and climbed out of the freezer. No sooner had she put on her robe, than Josef appeared in the doorway.

Never had Josef been more grateful for vampire speed. No sooner had he seen her, than he was holding her in his arms the next moment, hugging her tightly against him. For a few seconds, they held each other, just grateful to be together again after so many agonizing hours of uncertainty.

"Are you all right?" Josef asked, at last.

"Yes, I am. No ill effects from whatever drug they put into me."

Josef's eyes blackened angrily. "Mick mentioned that you were drugged? What happened exactly?"

"I don't really know for sure. I was staked and then they gave me something that knocked me out completely. It must have mesed with my memory too, because I can't remember anything about what happened."

Josef seemed relieved, and he kissed her forehead. "None of this was your fault, Karlie. I'm just glad that your safe, and so should you be. Don't worry; we'll get to the bottom of this. Come on and get dressed, there's someone downstairs that I want you to meet."

"Who?"

Josef looked as though he were a little unsure what to say next. "Well, for lack of any better way to phrase it, my sire, Frederic is here."

Karlie looked at Josef in complete shock. "You're sire? He's here? Right now?"

"Yes, and he wants to meet you."

Karlie looked at him. "Your sire came all the way over from Germany just so that he could meet me?"

"Well, that's not the only reason. He actually has some important things to tell us, and I think it might shed some light on what's going on." He saw the look on Karlie's face was a little worried. "What?"

"Well, I just thought that we were past the meet the in laws stage in our relationship, and I don't really know whether I am looking forward to meeting the man who turned you 600 years ago. I mean, what if he doesn't approve of me?"

"There's nothing to worry about, he'll love you."

Karlie sighed and said, "Fine, it wouldn't make much sense to get out of it now, I suppose."

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs, Frederic was drinking a glass of blood from Josef's well-stocked supply, when he suddenly smelled two very interesting visitors were coming his way.

He looked around to the doorway and saw that a male vampire and a female human had just come into the room. The vampire was tall, with dark hair and green eyes, turned at the age of thirty, and smelled to be in his eighties. The young woman was blond, with blue eyes. She seemed to be in her late twenties. Frederic already knew who they were without being introduced. These were the two that Josef had told him about on the flight over, Mick St. John and Beth Turner.

They had been discussing something that was evidently so absorbing that they didn't notice him until they were in the room. And when they did finally notice him, they were at first surprised to see him, a vampire that they didn't know, standing so casually in a room of Josef's house. And before that surprise could change to suspicion, Frederic quickly stepped forward and said, in a voice that reflected the perfect breeding of several centuries, "Good evening. My name is Fredric Braun. I'm a friend of Josef's."

"Are you?" asked Mick, unconsciously stepping in front of Beth to protect her from any potential threat.

"Yes, I am. I know that you are probably suspicious of me because of the recent events that have happened here, but let me assure you that I am here by Josef's invitation and I have no other intention except to help."

Both Mick and Beth were struck by different things in this vampire, things that made them realize he was very, very old. Mick, now that he was focused entirely on the vampire in front of him, could smell that he was centuries old, the oldest vampire that he had ever met, even beyond Josef. Beth could hear a certain cadence and elegance in the way that he spoke and the way he chose his words which could only come from years and years of practice.

Mick, still keeping one eye on Frederic, relaxed his stance ever so slightly. "A friend of Josef's, huh?" He said, still a little skeptical.

"Yes. If it will make you feel any better, I think that I can guess who you are. You must be Mick St. John and this must be Beth Turner. Josef told me all about you on the flight over."

"He did, did he?"

"Of course, nothing but the best, don't worry. Well, all the best for Miss Turner, he did have some complaints about you Mr. St. John. Said that you didn't seem to take to being a vampire until Miss. Turner came into your life."

"Yeah, that sounds like something that Josef would say." Said Mick, beginning to feel somewhat more at ease in the presence of this stranger. After five minutes, he hadn't picked up anything threatening, and if he had wanted to do something, Mick thought he would have done it by now. "Please, don't call me Mr. St. John, it makes me feel old."

"Old?" said Frederic, "You're a mere child. Wait till you get to be as old as I am, then you'll know what it feels like to be ancient."

"So, how long have you known Josef?" said Beth, who, having never met a member of society this old, had to confess that she was deeply curious.

Frederic smiled, as though he were enjoying some sort of private joke. "Oh, quite a few centuries, though I haven't seen him in many years."

"So, what brings you here now?" asked Mick.

"Recent events that I think you must be aware of. I will tell you everything when Josef gets back. I must confess, I wasn't expecting him to take this long."

"Josef and Karlie are probably having a heartfelt reunion." Said Mick, as though it should have been the most obvious thing for them to be waiting awhile. "They'll be done eventually."

It happened that a few more minutes passed before Josef, whose arm was now permanently locked around Karlie's waist, as though he were afraid of letting her go, at last made their appearance. Frederic got to his feet and moved to meet them. Mick couldn't help but notice that Karlie looked a little nervous about meeting him, which seemed odd, considering that Karlie was not normally what could be called shy.

"Fredric," said Josef, by way of introduction, "this is Karlie Dashwood, my wife."

To Mick and Beth utter surprise and confusion, instead of responding in English, Fredric suddenly began to speak in German. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Karlie. Josef has told me quite a lot about you."

Karlie, while she looked a little uncertain for a moment, responded fluently in the same language. "Josef has told me quite a lot about you as well over the years, Mr. Braun."

"From you, it must be Frederic." Said Frederic, with a gracious smile, "We seem to be practically family now, as Josef has stayed with you far longer than he ever has with anyone else. Though I must say, he has chosen the very best this time. You are quite the most beautiful that I have ever met of the women in his life."

Karlie found herself beginning to smile, as her nervous faded. "I can see where you get that velvet tongue of yours, Josef."

"I told you that you had nothing to worry about." said Josef, kissing the top of her head.

This whole exchange was conducted in German, and neither Beth nor Mick had any idea what was being said or what was going on. "Uh, guys," said Mick, "what are you talking about?"

Josef looked at Mick and then back at Frederic. "You didn't tell them did you?"

"Tell us what?" asked Mick.

"The subject never came up." Said Frederic, with that same smile he had worn earlier.

"Josef, what are you talking about?"

The three of them exchanged smiles and then Josef, with a gleam in his eye, said, "Mick, Beth, this is my sire."

It must be admitted that whatever Mick or Beth had thought before of Frederic, they now could only look at him in complete shock, and for several seconds, they could think of nothing coherent to say. Frederic laughed. "I suppose that you have me to thank for keeping Josef around this long, or perhaps you might want to curse me for doing so. If the latter is the case, I am afraid you will have to live with him, for I can't very well undo it now."

"I haven't seen Frederic in over 100 years." explained Josef, "And I have heard him say several times that he's not fond of the United States."

"I never said that, I merely prefer the old world customs to your fast-paced American way of life."

Mick and Beth had managed to get over the worst part of their shock by this time, but many questions still remained. "If you never leave Europe," said Beth, "then what on earth brings you here now?"

Frederic's face suddenly grew serious as did Josef's. "I wish that I could say I was here merely on a pleasant visit that is long overdue." Said Frederic, "However, that is not the case. In fact, I am here because of a family that you are familiar with, I believe. I am sure that the name Coraline Duvall sounds familiar to you."

At the mention of his ex's name, Mick's eyes grew suddenly dark, and he remembered the original reason that had brought them to Josef's mansion in the first place. Could the mysterious vampire follower of Beth's be related to Coraline somehow? That would be just like Coraline to come back and invade their lives once more. Well, if she was in any way to do with this, if she did even the smallest thing to hurt Beth, than he would burn her to death again, making sure that he saw the ashes this time and maybe cutting off her head before he did so, just to be sure she was actually dead.

However, Mick was saved from such gruesome thoughts by Frederic. "I see by your face what your assumptions are, Mick. But they are not entirely correct. As far as I am aware, Coraline is still in France, and she knows nothing of this, as I daresay none of the others do yet. No, the trouble I refer to is far closer to home, and might perhaps be worthy of more of your concern than Coraline ever was."

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Please, read and review.

Next chapter: Frederic reveals the first piece of the puzzle, revealing the orgins of this mysterious family feud and why it involves our favorie vampires.


	6. New Information

New information:

Mick stared at Frederic, clearly skeptical. "What could be more trouble than Coraline?"

"Namely, the other members of her family, Mick." Said Frederic, "Coraline may be one of their biggest trouble-makers, but she is not the most dangerous of the Duval line. She is perfectly selfish and spoiled, but she is not stupid. She would never dream of stirring up as much trouble as I fear might be coming to Los Angeles right now."

"What do you mean?" asked Karlie.

"Maybe we should all sit down." Said Josef, "This took a twelve hour plane ride for me to fully comprehend, and even now, I'm only beginning to understand it completely."

It was a wise move on the part of Josef, as was the offer of food for Beth and blood for all the rest. Once they were all settled, Frederic began. "As I told you, I'm here to help. But in order to do that, I must go back a few hundred years. The Duvall, as I think you are aware of, control France and a good deal of the continent itself. They tend to keep to themselves, and are not apt to cause trouble. At least, that is the way that they behave towards me. Germany and Switzerland are under my control, and I'm too old for them to attempt a move against me. However, they can be very harsh in their dealings. They are worse even than Josef when it comes to dealing with those who they consider to be threats."

"And this has to do with us how?" inquired Mick.

"As I said, it goes back a few hundred years. You see, I have always found it expedient to keep a close eye on my neighbors, especially the Duvalls. Royalty and immortality can be a heady and dangerous mix; family feuds happen in even the most close of families, and in this case, there is little love lost between some of the family members. I have heard reports that more than a little bad blood exists between some of the siblings. Some of those things do not bear repeating. One of them, Henri, has always stayed in France, under the close watch of the eldest, Alexandre, who wields full power over the siblings and in that part of Europe. Henri is the youngest, and it has always been said that he has a touch of madness to him, though that could just be the trauma of his upbringing and his turning. His behavior has sometimes been disturbing. However, he is no threat to us, while he is still in France and there he remains. The one who now worries me is the second eldest, a vampire named Carlisle."

Frederic went onto explain what he knew of Carlisle and his connection with the Duvall family. There had always been rumors that the sire of the Duvall line had been betrayed to the citizens of the uprisings in France during the last decade of the 1700's. Specifically, he had been betrayed by one of his own creations. The particulars of that terrible time were known only to the seven siblings, but that could not keep outside tongues from speculating. And that speculation had fallen a great deal on Carlisle.

"But why Carlisle more than any of the others?" Mick asked.

"Carlisle has always been on the outside of the Duvall family. He was different than the others, and it has been said that he greatly resented his turning, and the lifestyle that Valentin expected him to have. His sympathies were always more Republican than I think any of his siblings would have liked. If he wanted revenge, it would have been a simple matter to bring his sire's true nature to the attention of the rebels, in exchange for his own safety."

"His own safety?" questioned Beth.

"Yes. A few months after Valentin's death, when the massacres of the vampires began, Carlisle quietly left France to leave his siblings to their fate."

"He abandoned his own family?" said Beth, who, even if she did not have much sympathy or liking for any named Duvall, yet could not imagine turning her back on her own flesh and blood. "The coward. If that's the stock that Coraline is form, no wonder she turned out as she did."

"Whatever his reasons," said Frederic, "the evidence was damning enough against him that he did not try to return to France. Of course, he has never formally been charged with anything and it has never been expressly proved. I think that the Duvall family wants to preserve their reputations, and an accusation of this size would cause a scandal from which their reputations would never fully recover."

"So, what does all this have to do with what happened in Josef's office?" asked Karlie.

"Because, despite my silence on the subject," said Frederic, "I have always tried to keep track of Josef's whereabouts. As his sire, it's almost impossible for him to hide from me forever."

Karlie looked at Josef, "Never out from papa's watchful eye are you, Josef?"

"Perhaps, but at least I don't have to ask for permission to stay out beyond a certain hour."

"And I not only keep an eye on Josef, I also keep a sharp eye out for anyone who might be dealing him serious harm. About a month ago, I found out that Carlisle Duvall had set up a residence here, and he wasn't going to leave. I can only assume that he wants to cause trouble."

"But why? What could he gain from picking a fight with someone like Josef?" said Mick.

"I still am not sure of that, Mick." Said Frederic, "Perhaps his real goal is not Josef as yet, but rather you."

"Me?"

"Yes, because of your rejection of Coraline for a human. Do not mistake me, Mick," said Frederic, when he saw Mick's jaw tightening and his arm around Beth's waist doing likewise in protection. "You have made a better choice by far in Beth Turner, but Coraline I'm afraid, was the little darling of the Duvall line, especially of Carlisle. He probably looks upon this choice of yours as a personal insult to Coraline. I think that he might revenge against you and Beth."

Beth looked at Mick, "Do you think that was why someone was following me today at school?"

"Whoa, wait, what's this?" said Karlie, because in the revelation of everything else that evening, Beth's stalker of that day had been almost forgotten.

Beth and Mick explained what happened that day. Frederic listened to this thoughtfully and nodded. "That could very well be the case. I think that Carlisle wants his presence felt here, but he obviously wants to move cautiously, and what his ultimate plans are, I cannot guess. But considering who he is, we might want to prepare for the worst."

"So, I take it your staying around?" said Josef.

"Josef, I wouldn't have come all this way to warn you of danger when a simple phone call might have sufficed. Of course I'm staying, it you can find a place for me."

"You'd think that I'd let Josef's sire sleep in a bathtub in a hotel?" said Karlie, with the utmost grace, "You will stay here, whatever Josef says." She shot him a look of mock warning, in case he had some foolish idea of rejecting her offer, which of course he didn't, but being Josef, he had to make a joke out of it.

"Well, it seems that I don't have a choice, Frederic. What she says goes."

"Really, in everything?" said Frederic, with raised eyebrows.

"In most everything, unless I disagree with her."

"In the meantime," said Karlie, "we have to consider your own safety, Beth. Have you noticed yourself being at all followed in the last few days?"

"No, this is the only time that I've noticed it. But, I don't know if that will last."

"It probably won't." said Karlie, "And if that is the case, than I don't think you should go back home, on your own, at least. It might be best if you didn't have to face this alone. I know that it could be difficult for you trying to do so."

The words were said gently, and with an infinite deal of understanding. She knew that Beth had been scarred by her early childhood kidnapping, and being followed by a vampire who might have connections, however distant they might have been, with Coraline would not bring her much ease of mind.

Beth was grateful for Karlie's concern for her. It was true that she did not want to be alone right now. It is not cowardice to admit to being afraid, nor is it wrong to say that sometimes, we all like to be protected. Beth wanted and needed her guardian angel right now. "You're right, Karlie, I think that it might be best for me to stay close to Mick right now," she turned and looked at him, "if you can stand to be with me for a few weeks."

"Oh, I think that I can handle that." said Mick, grinning, "There is some good that can come out of this if I can get you to crash at my place for awhile."

"Than I guess that settles that." said Josef, surveying the two of them with obvious amusement, "Just try and remember that this isn't a vacation, you two. We have got some serious work to do. I for one want to know what this Duvall character is doing in my city."

"We can worry about that tomorrow, Josef." Said Karlie, "We can't go dashing into things without thinking first, and I don't think that any of us are in a position to do that. We have had a stressful few hours and I think that we all need to try and get some rest."

"Wise words, Josef." Said Frederic, who was becoming more and more impressed with the sensibleness of Josef's wife. It surprised him as well, because sensibility was not always something that Josef was very perceptive of in his female companionship. What was more, he could not help but see how they reacted so seamlessly to each other's movements and moods; it almost seemed like they were connected by some inner force that not even Frederic would have been able to break. Quite curious, indeed. He hoped to gain some more insights into these during his stay. It would be maybe be a pleasurable distraction to what was going on.

It was soon agreed between them all that they should meet back at Josef's mansion seven the following evening. That would give them twenty-four hours to regroup and compare anything that they had learned. Josef would have a few of his people working out some background information about Carlisle Duvall's background, and Mick would do the same with his own resources.

It was only the beginning of their investigations. And yet, perhaps it might have been good to have some doubts about the certainty of the new information, for it might have saved them much pain later on. It was possible for even the most reliable source of information to be wrong, when rumor is ever proven to be changeable and opinion a fickle mistress.

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Please read and review.

Next chapter: Just a few tender moments between our favorite couples before the really big storm hits, and a big one it will be, when Amanda pays Carlilse an unexpected visit.


	7. Carlisle

Carlisle:

Despite what her heart wanted to believe, Amanda was, first and foremost, a Cleaner. She was, above all things, practical. She liked to know the reality behind every possibility. In the case of Josef's break-in, she was not quite able to banish the idea from her mind that it was no coincidence that Carlisle Duvall should have shown up on the very day that someone had broken into Josef's mansion. There was, of course, no reason to suspect him, but there was nothing to prove his absolute innocence either. She had to be certain that he wasn't connected with it. She did not want to admit to any personal feelings she had at stake in the matter. However, it could be denied that they played a part in some ways.

Carlisle's house resided about forty miles outside of LA, in the hills that surrounded the city. Carlisle had never liked being in the crush and press of a big city. He preferred space to breath. His house was nestled in a stretch of woods and the house itself, though large and elegant, was tasteful. It did not call attention to itself. When she got out of the car, she immediately knew that he was not in the house. She could hear him outside in the back, as well as a few other sounds and smells that she couldn't quite identify.

She came around the house and stopped in her tracks at the sight before. Carlisle was certainly there, but he was not alone. He had failed to mention that he had a roommate. Carlisle was playing fetch with his dog.

Anyone who had said the animals were afraid of vampires would have though differently had they witnessed this scene. The dog had the body of large German shepherd, the head of a Labrador retriever and who knows what else sprinkled through his genome. He had black fur, with dark brown and black highlights scattered throughout the coat. It appeared as if there was no greater joy in his life that particular evening than running after the Frisbee which his master threw and then jumping up to catch it. Running after it, bringing it back, running after it, bringing it back. That was his greatest purpose in life. And it seemed to be Carlisle's as well. He was grinning and laughing, shouting praise to his dog. When the dog brought back the Frisbee for what was probably the thousandth time that night and dropped it at Carlisle's feet, Carlisle dropped to his knees and began to pet and scratch the dog. "Good boy, Felix, good boy." The dog immediately hopped up on his back legs, placed his paws on Carlisle's shoulders and began to shower his face with big, sloppy kisses. Carlisle laughed and accepted the show of adoration with obvious delight.

Watching this scene was almost perfectly bizarre, because it seemed so ordinary, only accepted that it took place at night and one of the players happened to be vampire. Not even Amanda could get comprehend it, at first, and she had been acquainted with this strange eccentricity of Carlisle's for over one hundred years.

The dog was in the process of giving Carlisle a liberal bath, when he suddenly paused. He sniffed the air and growled darkly. Though Carlisle did not turn his head right away, yet he knew that Amanda was already there. "Now, Felix," Carlisle reprimanded gently, "that's no way to teat a guest." Carlisle turned to face Amanda and said, with a smile, "Amanda, this is a most unexpected, but nonetheless, pleasant surprise."

Amanda came forward to meet him, and gestured to the dog which was still sitting at Carlisle's feet. "Carlisle, I see that you still continue your strange fascination with furry, four-legged animals."

Carlisle laughed. "They choose me, Amanda. I can't turn them away when they do. This is Felix."

Amanda looked at Felix and Felix eyed Amanda. While not necessarily being enemies right away, it certainly wasn't love at first sight for either of them. Carlisle laughed, "What can I say? Felix doesn't take quickly to others of our kind, though he's quite fond of me. That's too bad for him, because I am glad to see you. What, may I ask, brings you here at such an early hour as this? It's only a couple of hours before dawn, and judging by your clothes, you must have been on duty as a Cleaner tonight. I would have thought that you would want to get some freezer time."

Amanda suddenly remembered why she had come here in the first place and she said, "Carlisle, I cam here because I need to ask you something, on a professional level."

Carlisle grinned. "Really? I'm intrigued, already."

"Carlisle, I'm being serious. I don't want to think that you would cause trouble, but because of what's happening, I have to eliminate all possibilities."

Carlisle's face now showed traces of confusion. "Amanda, I hate to say this, but I'm not following you."

"There was a break-in at Josef Koston's house a few nights ago. They didn't take anything, but just the fact that they were able to do so without setting off an alarm is worrisome. And since Karlie also got in their way that means that Josef will be even unhappier."

Carlisle's confusion seemed to deepen. "Who's Karlie?"

"Josef's wife."

Carlisle looked at Amanda, with raised eyebrows, clearly skeptical. "You're telling me that Josef has a wife?"

"Yes, they've been together for nearly fifty-five years. You wouldn't believe that Josef would have settled down with anyone, considering his love for women of all kinds over the centuries. But the two of them are completely devoted to each other."

Carlisle laughed and shook his head. "Just when you think that eternity has thrown everything it can at you. Well, this is all quite fascinating, Amanda, and I naturally feel for Josef, but what does this all have to do with me?"

"Carlisle, the same night that I saw you was the same night that the break-in occurred. You said that you had business to see to and than you just left."

Carlisle's face sobered. "Ah, I see. You want to be sure that I'm not involved."

"Believe me, I didn't want to think that about you, and I want to believe you're innocent. But I'm a Cleaner, Carlisle. You know that means that I have to investigate all possibilities that could bring danger to the community."

"I understand, Amanda. I can't say that I blame you, considering who my family is. But to satisfy in the most efficient way possible, I will tell you the truth. Before you told me about this, I had no knowledge of it. I don't know who could be behind it. I know my family, they wouldn't act this way. They know what my eldest brother would do to them should they do something so provoking to Josef, and in his own territory no less."

"And as far as you know, none of your family is here in the United States?"

"No, but I think that you know my family and I are not in regular contact. The only one I have ever met here in America is my sister, Coraline. And to my knowledge, she has been in France for the past two years, and I have not heard from her since that time. Does that answer any questions you might have?"

Amanda nodded. Carlisle was not lying, of that she was certain. He had never done that to her, not even when they had first met and she had learned his history from his own mouth. She knew that she could trust him this time.

After she had completed her business, there was an awkward few seconds of silence between them. Amanda would have liked to stay for a little while longer, and Carlisle would have liked to ask her the same thing, but for awhile, it seemed like they weren't able to form the words. So, Amanda finally said, "Well, thank you for your time. I'll leave you to yourself now."

However, Carlisle would be having none of that. Employing vampire speed, he was in her path when she turned to go before she had time to blink. "Why leave now? It's a few hours yet to sunrise. Stay, please. It's been eighty years, Amanda. Doesn't that mean that we have some catching up to do?"

Amanda hesitated, but only for a second. It was true that if Josef knew about this, he would have objections, and she didn't want to bring that type of danger upon Carlisle. She knew that Josef would not be so merciful in his dealings with Carlisle. But, on the other hand, there was nothing threatening that she could sense. And Josef surely wouldn't be that ahead of the game so soon after coming back to LA. Maybe she could chance it for awhile. How much trouble could one conversation lead too. So, she said yes.

Love and time are strange concepts in vampire circles. While it is rare for two individuals to stay together for all of eternity, yet when love speaks to the heart, be it mortal and beating, or immortal and still, it is difficult to ignore. For vampires, even a separation of a long time does not dull such strong emotions. In fact, it only takes a few meetings for those feelings to be reawakened, and they prove to be just as strong as ever.

It was this way for Carlisle and Amanda. Though it had been eighty years, and from a human point of view, they had met only twice, yet they could not deny the connection that had been stirred at their first meeting, but which became impossible to ignore after only an hour's conversation. They could not deny it, they had fallen in love when they had met 150 years before, and they were just as much in love now after all this time.

At last, as they came back to the door of the house, Carlisle said, "Well, I would ask you to stay a little longer; however, I'm afraid that's out of the question."

"Because this is our technically only our second date, and you don't want to look like you're breaking the rules of propriety?"

"No, because I don't have a bed, and since I just got the furniture brand new and custom made, I don't think it would be a good idea."

"You know that is an unfortunate circumstance which will be remedied if we are to continue seeing each other."

"If it means that it will keep me seeing you, than I certainly will get one and soon." said Carlisle with obvious delight.

"So does that mean that a good night kiss is out of the question?"

"Oh, dear Amanda, I think you know that is never out of the question where you are concerned."

With that, he closed the distance between them and embraced her in his arms. The next instant, Amanda felt her insides melting. Even after so many years and so many lovers, only Carlisle could completely break down all the defenses she placed on her emotions for protection during her tough job of being a Cleaner. He kissed her deeply and earnestly. The passion that had long been kept in his heart for her came over her like a blanket, cloaking her in a world where it seemed that she was the only thing he could see. He still knew how to hold her in the way that she would get the most pleasure out of being close to him. He was ever still the gentleman in such physical matters of love. Though he might have seemed to lead, he took his cues from her, and oh, the dances that they had been on during their affairs, whether they had lasted for one night or a hundred. She had never had a boring night with him. It was a pity that this couldn't be one. But being as it was nearly sunrise, she needed to get some sleep.

So, it was with a great deal of reluctance that she drew away from him at last. But even so, she didn't pull away from his embrace right away. The two looked at each other, and she thought that she saw in his eyes something that seemed like a desire for something he could not have. But it was gone the next moment, so she could not be sure of all that she saw. However, she clearly saw that he still loved her, as much as ever.

"Why do we always leave each other?" she questioned.

He smiled slightly and brushed a strand of hair from her face, "A better question might be to ask, why do we always find each other?"

A few more seconds of gazing at each other, and than at last Amanda separated herself from him and said her farewells.

Carlisle looked after her and her car disappeared around the corner. "Now there is a woman that I could go through eternity with." He murmured to himself. But he knew that was impossible, considering who he was and the dark cloud that hung over him, a relationship with anyone was out of the question. He simply could not stand the idea of anyone coming into danger because of him. He had taken the burden upon himself, however unasked for it might have been. He must bear it as best he could.

However, such were his feelings that he had never been able to stay away when fate placed her back in his path. For however long they had, therefore, he must cherish and enjoy, as well as he could. He looked down at Felix, who had been with him the whole walk, keeping a good distance from Amanda and who now looked distinctly relieved that the unwelcome intruder had left. He had smile and reached down to pat him on the head. "Better get used to her, my friend, she will be here many more times."

Felix, who could not care less for what was to come tomorrow, wagged his tail. But suddenly, he froze. For the second time that evening, he sniffed the air, tensed and let loose a snarl, decidedly grimmer than had been his greeting to Amanda. That had merely been the sign of an unwelcome intrusion. This was the warning of an enemy.

"What's the matter, Felix?" Felix barked and would have gone running into the night, but Carlisle grabbed him by the collar. He, too, sniffed the air, but he smelled nothing out of the ordinary. "Come on, Felix. I think you've had enough vampires for one night." He ushered his pet inside, and Felix followed, with some reluctance, and not without throwing one last growl over his shoulder.

Perhaps Carlisle would have done well to take a closer look at his surroundings. Animals sometimes have a better sense of approaching danger than do humans, or even vampires. Had Carlisle looked in the trees specifically around his home, in a certain oak tree, high up in the branches, he might have seen a shadow that was neither branch nor leaf. But rather a specter from his past that he would have recognized. But as it was, he missed completely unaware of it, and so the unseen vampire was able to take several incriminating photos, which would soon place the woman he loved in the worst possible danger.

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Please read and review. The next chapter will be up very soon (maybe even tonight). It will reveal very important secret that will play a big role in the rest of the story. In the meantime, I am anxious to hear what you think of this little romance that I am setting up. But will it end good or will it end bad? Well, to find that out, you must continue reading.

Next chapter: Is Carlisle truly responsible for what is happening in Los Angeles, or is there someone else also coordinating events? Appearences are deceving. Remember, Coraline has more than one brother.


	8. Henri

Henri:

Tina Ferris had to admit that she felt more than a little nervous. After receiving a call on her cell phone that _he_ wanted to speak to her down at the Boardwalk, she had not been able to keep a chill from skating down her spine. She had known that something like this would be coming. She had told him that Karlie would not be there on the evening of the break in, but how was she supposed to know that Karlie Dashwood would choose to spend an evening at home? She wasn't that prissy little youngling's caretaker. Even so, she could not be that confidant with him; she had heard of his temper from those who had worked for him for over three hundred years. She had hoped that she would have been able to get through this without raising his ire against herself. It appeared that was not going to be the case.

She arrived at the Boardwalk at the appointed time, but even so, she found that she was not the first one there. The dark black car with the shaded windows was parked a little ways from hers, and two men were already standing on the Boardwalk, obviously waiting for her. Trying to keep herself calm, she got out of the car and walked casually over to the two vampires. She did not pay any attention to the one who was standing in the background, as he was most likely a bodyguard. It was to the other that she focused her attention. She did not speak, for however forward she felt she had a right to be with Josef Koston, she somehow sensed that taking the same tone with this vampire could get her killed. No, he needed to make the first move.

After what seemed like a very long time, he at last spoke, "You said that she would not be there."

Tina found herself shivering again at the slightly menacing tone of voice, "I was sure that she would not be. Karlie Dashwood is always working nights on the weekdays. I did not know that she would pick that night of all nights to stay at home."

He turned and looked at her with his piercing eyes. His height and broad shoulders made Tina appear very small, and it was fortunate that she had nothing to hide in this instance, for if he had sensed at all that she was deceiving him, her head would have come off the next second.

He stared at her for several long moments, before he said, "See to it that you do not fail me again."

This made Tina feel somewhat bolder. The fact that he had not killed her outright made her a bit more confidant in her position in this conversation. "You need me. Don't forget that it was you who came to me six months ago. If it weren't for my position as a Cleaner in this city, you would never have been able to acquire the security codes to Josef's estate."

"True, very true. But you would also do well to not forget that you need me, perhaps as much I need you. You are the one who wants more power in the area."

"Well, than if that's the case, you know that I won't do anything to expose you."

Instead of taking offence, he merely smiled, his eyes glinting. "You have spunk, Miss Ferris." He stood to one side and gestured to the length of the Boardwalk. "Walk with me." Though Tina would have liked the conversation to be over right then, yet she knew that she couldn't disobey. She might have had some leeway, but not much.

She fell in step beside him, and the two walked along in silence. Tina was fidgety, and could not understand what this futile exercise was for. The man beside her seemed far more interested in watching the shoreline and listening to the call of the night birds than he had in conversing with her. In truth, he saw a great deal more than Tina gave him credit for. He was silently observing her out of the corner of his eye, reading her moods, assuring for himself once more that she was still on his side. When he spoke, it was almost as if he wanted nothing more than to make idle conversation. "I am surprised that it has taken you this long to make any move against your partner, considering that you want all of what you share with her so badly."

"I cannot murder another Cleaner. That would raise far too much speculation. Perhaps, in a more turbulent time, I could have done it and blamed it on the humans who make a living out of hunting us. But LA is far to quiet for that to happen. I need an excuse, and you are the opportunity that presented itself. I wanted to advantage of it."

He chuckled. "Power is a long and dangerous road to achieve, Miss Ferris. Your patience and forbearance does you credit. I should know; I have waited three hundred years for my perfect moment."

Tina stopped and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He stopped, and for a brief second, she saw something flash across his face. It was a look of heartbreak, despair, but more than anything else, a rage so deep and festering that it had infected his very soul, and destroyed whatever might have been good in him. Once more, Tina felt a shiver skate down her spine. She didn't need to be a great reader of people to see by that single look that all the rumors she had heard about him were true, and she had even more motivation than she already did to make sure that she stayed on his good side.

However, that disturbing look of rage lasted only for a moment. A second later his face was that same impassable, cool mask which hid so much of his true intent. He had learned never to reveal what he truly thought of life, that was what was giving him the chance to pursue his revenge against those who had acted against him, which was pretty much everyone in the world, except for himself.

"Do not worry yourself with things that are of no concern to you, Miss Ferris. Just keep on doing what I tell you, too, and soon all that you want will be achieved."

It was this moment that the sound of car engine came to their ears. A car sped up from the night darkened road and came to a stop beside the other two vehicles. A young blond vampire, the same one who had stalked Beth Turner earlier that day, leaped out and came hurrying towards them.

"Sir," he said, when he came to them, "I've been tracking the other Cleaner Amanda Greyson, just as you wanted me too."

"Good, and did you find anything of use?"

Anton nodded. His master had wanted him to track Amanda so that they could learn her routes and places that tended to be hotspots on her watch. This would serve better to lure her into a trap. "I followed her during the whole of her shift, and got all the locations that she went too. I kept well out of sight and she didn't see me, nor did any of her crew."

"Further proof that the masking agent is working, and working over long periods, very good."

"But there's more, sir. When she was going off duty, I followed her a little longer, to see where she lived. But she didn't go back to her house, she went somewhere far better." He handed the camera to him and said, "Look where she ended up, and who she's with."

He took the camera from Anton and looked through the pictures. And when he saw what they contained, he began to laugh, a jagged, harsh sound that was the sound of a soul that had been consumed by hatred and now had no greater joy than taking revenge against all who had wronged him. He thrust the camera into Tina's hands and said, "Tell me, Tina, what do you see in these pictures?"

Tina, rather puzzled by his reaction (as well as a little disturbed), looked at the photos, and saw her fellow Cleaner in a close embrace with another vampire who looked almost exactly like the one standing in front of her. "That's Amanda, all right, but who is he?"

"That," he spat, coldly, "is my brother, Carlisle Duvall. You wanted a party to blame for your rival's disappearance, Miss Ferris. Well, I'd say that you've found one."

"Your brother? But how-"

"My brother's reputation is by far the most dangerous of any of my family." He said, "He didn't do any of the things he's accused, of course. He suffers from the weakness of conscience, which is far worse than any crime he is thought to have committed. That means he is the perfect target. I didn't even know he was here. This makes all my pans even better."

A slight madness seemed to have crept into his tone, one that made Tina even more disturbed. Here was a vampire that was perfectly wiling to betray his own family for his revenge; how safe was her connection to him really? He might need her, but could he not perhaps find those same services somewhere else? She suddenly worried just how secure her position with this vampire was. But, she had gone too far in now, to back out. And, if she played her cards right, she might have her rival out of her hands without any of the blame falling to her lot. That, above all else, was what she wanted to avoid. What did it matter if a vampire that she had never met before should pay the penalty for her ambition?

"What does change in our planning?" she asked.

Henri Duvall, the youngest of the French bloodline, turned and regarded her with his intense stare. It must be admitted that, at a distance, Carlisle and Henri would have been hard to tell apart. Though several years existed between them in birth, yet their turnings had happened in such manner that Henri was only physically one year younger that Carlisle. Therefore, he had inherited a good deal of Carlisle's looks, save that his eyes were a stormy, and ever disturbed dark green. One look into those eyes and the resemblance between the two would have died.

"I will inform you of what the next move will be and when it will be. For now, be careful that you do not turn against us, or Josef will find out who it was that broke into his mansion. It was you who gave us the codes, after all, as you are one of the few who knows them, so your name will be on the records. But your exalted position in the community puts you above suspicion, for now. Remember your goals, and see that the price you pay for power is not the ultimate one. Power is hard to enjoy when you are dead. Do I make myself clear?"

Tina gulped and backed away. She suddenly wanted to be anywhere then where she ws. There was a mad light burning in Henri's eyes, a look which told her clearly that he was not joking and he meant every word. "I-Yes, of course. I understand, perfectly. Josef will never learn anything from me. I'm in charge of the investigation; I can fabricate all the evidence I need so that none of it points to you."

"Good, Miss Ferris. You may go. And don't worry, we shall be in touch."

Anton and Henri watched as she left them. "You know that there is a chance that she could turn against us if she feels threatened." Said Anton.

"Yes, there is always the risk for treachery. You are fortunate to have my trust, Anton. There are not many that I trust so absolutely. But you have proven yourself these many centuries. For all others that I meet, I always treat with suspicion. That is the only reason why I am still alive. And I did not come here to encounter difficulties. If she becomes a liability, we'll have to eliminate her." He looked at Anton, "Come on, Anton. You look as though you need some freezer time. According to the messages we've intercepted, Beth will be staying with Mick St. John, so it might be harder to follow her. But tomorrow, we will learn more of my brother's whereabouts and soon, Josef and all his friends will know he is here. Then we shall see how quickly everything descends into chaos."

How fickle a mistress is opinion, how often her judgments become clouded by a stray word or action that seems innocence in itself. Even the most honest of souls with the best of intentions can fall victims to her lies. Frederic had spoken what he thought to be the honest truth about Carlisle Duvall when he had told the stories of his supposed crimes to Josef, Karlie, Beth and Mick. However, he was wrong in a very important way.

Carlisle was innocent. He had not betrayed his sire. He had not abandoned his family for the sake of his safety. The only thing he could perhaps be accused of was his intense dislike of conflict, which was why he had never come forward with the truth. But at the same time, he had never needed to say the truth. In America, the problems of the Old World seemed very distant to the vampires who lived there. It was only when he came across a particularly hostile enemy that he needed to run because of he was.

But if this was truly the case, why had he been painted as such a villain in the saga of the French bloodline? The answer to that is quite simple.

Rumors, hearsay, gossip, these are the things which can destroy the purest of reputations. And so it had done, over centuries with Carlisle.

A terrible error had been made, unknowingly though it was committed. How much suffering might have been prevented, if the truth might have been known. But to early seen and known too late had this judgment been made and passed on. In the end, there would be consequences to be paid.


	9. Tender Moments

Yes, I am back. This chapter really doesn't add anything to the plot, but I just couldn't resist a chapter devoted to a little bit of fluff between our favorite vampire couples. Enjoy!

Tender Moments:

When Mick and Beth left Josef's mansion, it about ten-thirty. Beth had a long weekend ahead of her. Even while being stalked by a vampire, she was determined to finish her assignments on time. It was Beth's way of dealing with stress, as well; she buried herself in work in order to avoid unpleasant feelings.

Beth still lived in her townhouse apartment. She knew that she would have been welcome at Mick's place, and she considered a more permanent arrangement between them on occasion, but the truth was that she still wasn't sure if she was ready to leave her humanity completely behind her. Having her own place was something that she still needed. Besides that, Beth was of an independent spirit and liked having her own space.

Still, staying over at Mick's place was fun. She had done it more than few times and it was always a relaxing place for her. Unfortunately she had an unpleasant suspicion that this time, it would prove to be no vacation. She tried to hide it, but not even she could deny that she was scared of the situation she now found herself in. Being stalked by a vampire who wanted to possibly take revenge upon her was not something to instill much confidence in her. She had seen enough of vampires to know how nasty revenge could be among their kind.

And just as hard as it was to hide her emotions from herself, it would have been impossible to hide them from Mick, who was, after all, a vampire, and one more attuned to her emotions than even an ordinary vampire would have been. The tension was rolling off of her in waves. When they got to her apartment, neither Beth nor Mick got out of the car right away. Mick glanced at Beth and saw that her shoulders were hunched over and her eyes wet with unshed tears. "Beth, talk to me." He said, as he took one of her hands. "You don't have to worry. Whoever this Carlisle person is, he won't lay a hand on you, I promise."

Beth made no answer to that immediate question, but said, "You know, a few years ago when Coraline showed up in human form, and I found out that she had been following us. I went to her house in Hollywood. While I was there, I went down into the basement, and that's where I found were she kept me as a child, when she was waiting to bring me to you. It was like this freaky horror film. It seemed just like a normal child's room, a room with everything a girl like me could want. But it frightened me, because I knew it was a prison and I couldn't escape. Coraline kept me there, all by myself, only coming to me with this horrible smile on her face. She seemed to think that this would be the greatest thing. She even said that the life she would give me would be even better than one I would leave behind."

Mick had never heard this part of Beth's kidnapping. It certainly left him with no feelings of sympathy for his ex. He wrapped one of his arms around her and said, "Beth, I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"I only mention it because ever since I've always hated the feeling of being in a cage, being watched by something that I can't see and this evening felt like that, when I was being stalked by that vampire. Mick I can't go through that again, I just can't."

Beth buried her face in Mick's chest and began to sob. Mick could see that Beth was exhausted. It had been a very long day. Perhaps it would be best if they stayed at her house for the night and he could bring her to his place in the morning. He allowed Beth a few minutes of crying into his shoulder, before he raised her face to meet his. He gently brushed away her tears and said, tenderly, "Beth, I love you. Please trust me. You won't be locked up in any sort of way. We'll get through this, just like we always have."

Beth managed a smile through her tears, and gave Mick a quick kiss. "Still my guardian angel, even after all these years."

Mick grinned. "I'm trying to repay a favor, because you, my angel, saved my soul. If I can devote the rest of my existence to keeping you safe, then it will be a price to pay."

They went into her house, and when they got inside, Travis, Beth's grey and black striped tabby cat, immediately came running out of a back room and began rubbing in and out of Beth's legs, purring happily. Travis had once belonged to Beth's former boss at Buzzwire. After she had been murdered, Beth had attempted to find a home for the cat; however, she had grown so attached that she had ended up keeping him instead.

"Travis." Said Beth, obviously relieved, as bent down to scoop him up. "You're a welcome sight after today." She ran her fingers through Travis' fur, and noticed Mick's expression. "What?"

"I swear I wonder sometimes if you love that cat more than you love me."

Beth laughed. "Come on, Mick, he loves you as much he loves me." Travis, as if to prove the point, began to wriggle in Beth's grasp, wanting to give Mick a proper greeting. For what was a human's purpose in life if not to shower affection upon a beloved pet? "Here, would you look after him while I get changed for bed?"

Mick took the furry bundle from her arms, Travis purring like a motorboat the whole time. "Don't dress in anything to provoking. You need your rest and I won't be able to keep my hands off of you if you wear lingerie."

Beth cast him a look of mock hurt. "You mean, you don't think that I look attractive in an old sweat suit?"

"You would be able to make a barrel look beautiful on you. But please, just this once, oblige me."

Beth huffed as she sashayed off to her room. "I will on one condition," she looked back at him, a wicked gleam in her eye, "this isn't the last time I can oblige you, in something more suitable."

"I promise you." said Mick, as he sat on the sofa with a very contented Travis purring away in his lap. Mick had never been able to figure out if it was just because he had met Travis when he was human and the cat remembered him from back then or if he just didn't notice he was a vampire. Not that he was complaining. Mick actually liked Travis, though before he had always considered himself a dog person. He supposed he should be honored, because Travis didn't like other vampires. Karlie he tolerated, but Josef for some reason he really seemed to dislike. It was actually rather entertaining watching a four hundred year old vampire and twelve pound cat hissing at each other.

Beth came back into the room, "This unprovoking enough for you?"

Mick grinned. "So much that it's actually very provocative. But I think I can behave myself tonight."

Beth returned the smile and sat down beside them on the sofa. "Travis is certainly making himself at home." She reached out to scratch him on the chin, and she looked up at Mick with big eyes.

Mick sighed in defeat, without even having to go through an argument. "All right, all right, he can stay at my place while you're there. Might be for the best, having someone to keep you company."

Beth seemed very happy by this and she gave Mick a big hug. "Thank you, Mick. That means a lot to me."

Mick put an arm around Beth and kissed her on the top of the hand. Even Travis got in on the action by somehow managing to rub them both at the same time. Mick didn't really mind. For sixty years, he had been so alone, so lost in his own loathing. And then, for some reason he was still unsure of, Beth had showed up in his life, brightening his night like the sun which he could no longer enjoy safely. He still struggled sometimes with his desire to have a normal life with Beth, which was the one thing that he would never be able to give her. But then, there were moments like this, moments which reminded him of all that he really had to be thankful for. Mick was content. It was indeed good to have a family.

* * *

Karlie was ever the model of hospitality when it came to entertaining guests at Josef's mansion. However, she had never had such an important guest as Josef's sire to worry about. Truth be told, she was still a little nervous about what he thought of her. But, the attention that she gave him in order to make him comfortable after Beth and Mick left would have softened the heart of even the coldest in-law.

However, when she was finished with that, Josef seemed more than willing to have her all too himself. He had been unusually clingy ever since he had returned, even more than usual. And when they were alone in their own room, the first thing that he did was take her in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. Karlie could sense the desperation in his embrace, as though he were afraid that she would vanish before he could do anything.

When they parted, Josef kept his forehead against hers, and said, "Now, seriously are you all right?"

"Yes, yes. Josef, I am fine. You don't have to keep asking me."

Josef shook his head and closed his eyes. "I know, I know. I'm in one of my paranoia phases as you call it, and yes, I know that they get on your nerves, but I can't help myself. I lived through twelve hours of hell when I didn't know what had happened to you."

Karlie couldn't help but smile a little when she saw how earnest Josef was. True, she did often get annoyed when he tried to smother her with protection (an objective that never really seemed to work), but tonight, in light of all that had happened, she was touched more than anything. "I'm glad that you still want to keep me safe, after all these years. I have my own knight in shining armor."

Josef seemed to catch onto her teasing attitude, and the tension that she had felt lingering beneath the surface all evening, lightened, if only a little. "Don't start that on me. Pretty soon, you'll be talking like Beth and her whole 'guardian angel' that she does with Mick. Besides, let's face it, you've never been much of a damsel in distress."

"Well, last night, I think I would have liked to have you there, with me."

"Maybe it wouldn't have made any difference. It sounds like Carlisle has come well prepared, if he can mask his presence and those working for him, as well as messing with the memories of the vamps he's targeting. If he injected you with something, maybe it would be best if we tried to get a sample to Guiermillo. He's the resident expert on vamp physiology. Maybe he could have some answers for us."

Karlie nodded. "That's a good idea. Still, for all that he spends his nights working at the morgue; Guermillo still isn't the most medically minded. I've often thought it would be nice to have a vampire doctor that the community can call upon in times of need."

"Yeah, well let's face it, that's not likely to happen any time soon. So we have to make due with what we have." Josef moved to sit down on the bed and looked up at her, his eyes resuming their former serious look. "I need to tell you something. You remember back a few years ago, when I was targeted by an assassin and you thought I was dead?"

Karlie nodded, shuddering slightly at the memory. She did not like to think of that time when she had thought that her husband had been lost to her forever. Though she and Josef had ultimately been reunited, yet those few hours had been the worst torture she had ever experienced in her years as a vampire.

"It was like that. I woke up, feeling that I had just been stabbed in the heart. I felt like that you were in terrible danger and I couldn't do anything to help you. I knew you weren't dead, but it was just the feeling of helplessness that ate at me until I thought that I would go crazy."

Karlie came over and sat down beside him. "Maybe knowing can sometimes be a greater torment than not knowing."

"It all depends on the situation, I guess. Either way, I'm not going to let it happen again, while this threat lasts, I'm not going to let you out of my sight."

Karlie laughed and moved closer to him. "You are going to have a hard time managing that, Josef, even now. You know that it's never worked in the past."

Josef's face split into a grin. "Well, I can always try. I'm not doing anything for the rest of the night, so I'll start right now."

He leaned and kissed her deeply. Karlie moaned happily and allowed him to explore her mouth with his tongue. They had had a really rough twenty-four hours, and before things began spinning out of control. They needed some time alone.

* * *

I always did wonder what happened to Travis the Cat, especially because I am something of a cat person and I thought that he was really cute. Also, I am sort of a planning stage with this part of the story. I know where I want to end up, but I am looking for the signposts, so I might be a little longer about updating. Don't quote me on that, though. I might get a burst of creativity, who knows. Keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime, please drop a review.


	10. Backgrounds

Okay, I think that I have a bit of a better idea where this story is going. So, hopefully the updates will be a little more regular from here on out. I hope that you enjoy this, it has kind of a lot of information, that will answer some questions. But might also bring up some others. So, enjoy.

Backgrounds:

The next few days would see Beth and Mick spending a great deal of free time at Josef's mansion. It seemed that it was a central location where the information about Carlisle Duvall would be the most speedily learned. Ryder had been working hard on digging up background about Carlisle's whereabouts, and he seemed to be enjoying himself, a lot. It was a challenge trying to keep track of the French vampire's movements and activities, and if there was anything that Ryder enjoyed, it was a challenge.

"It looks like this Duvall guy has been very busy over the past few decades." He said, to Mick and Josef, who were in the den with him on the Sunday after Beth had been followed at school. She, Karlie and Frederic were sitting in the room adjacent to them, though since the doors were open, they could basically hear everything that was going on. "As far as I can tell, his public persona is extremely upstanding. If he were a human, you wouldn't be able to get anything on him. Doesn't even have a speeding ticket to his name. Of course, if you're looking for vamp-related crimes, that's going to take a little longer."

Neither Mick nor Josef were particularly happy with the delay, but they knew that they would have to wait. "Until we have something definite on him, we can't do anything to him anyway." Said Mick, "The only thing we can do is keep an eye on him and find out as much as we can about him. Do you have anything on his recent activities, the last five or ten years? He's had to have had some time to plan this, I personally would like to know what they are so that we can try and counter them if at all possible."

Ryder pointed to the computer screen. "Look here, past few years he's been living in Massachusetts, teaching at Harvard. Seems like he got his Doctorate there as well. Take a look for yourself, I had to read it three or four times before I could actually believe it myself."

Josef and Mick looked at the screen. "You have got to be kidding me." said Josef, after a moment.

"Medicine?" said Mick, "Like actually treating patients?"

"According to this, that wasn't his primary field, looks more he went the route of research and development."

"But he would still have to work with patients wouldn't he?" said Karlie, from the other room, "How would he be able to stand the smell?"

"Wouldn't he try to feed on his patients?" said Beth, remembering the not exactly pleasant memory of the fledgling doctor she and Mick had tracked down a few years before.

"Not necessarily." Said Frederic, who had been listening to this exchange in silence. "I have learned from observing many vampires over the course of my centuries that some of us have a higher tolerance for the smell of human blood then others. Everything becomes enhanced when you become a vampire, and if a human has a talent for self denial, they could find that they would be able to better resist blood then someone else."

"I never found that to be the case." said Josef.

"Josef, you never had much of a talent for self denial." Said Frederic, with a smile, like an indulgent father speaking of a flaw in a favored son, "In fact, that might be the only character flaw that you have. You have never stinted yourself in the luxuries when you could, and I can see that hasn't changed." He gestured to the room around him, which contained designer furniture and at least two or three original works of art. "And don't even get me started on women. In that category, you have consistently shown yourself to have the common sense of a sheep." He bowed his head to Karlie, "Present company obviously accepted, of course, but if you had not come along, Karlie, I greatly fear that Josef would have met his end some way in the arms of a treacherous female of our kind."

"I resent being compared to a sheep." Muttered Josef.

"Oh really? Do I have to mention Lola and the multiple disasters that you hardly managed to avoid because of her schemes?"

Karlie and Beth were snickering, seeming to be really enjoying Josef's embarrassment and even Mick was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Had that language come from anyone else, Josef could have easily gotten very angry; coming from his sire, he merely looked rather embarrassed and annoyed. For a moment, he looked truly as young as he had when he had been turned.

"You don't have to worry about Lola getting him into trouble anymore." said Mick, "I took care of her a few years ago."

"And with the hawk eye I keep on him," said Karlie, "he knows that I'm not going to let him stray. He knows what would happen to him if he did."

"All right, all right, if you're done tearing up my self-esteem into little pieces, could we please get back to this issue at hand?"

"Yeah, right, sure Josef." Said Mick, though he still couldn't resist smirking at Josef and saying in a low tone, "A sheep, huh?"

Josef shot him a killer glare. "Don't even think about it." Turning rather quickly to Ryder in order to show that the subject was closed, he said, "What else did you find out?"

"Well, after teaching at Harvard for a few years, he was offered a job doing research with a bunch of colleges and hospitals in this area." Said Ruder, "It's a pretty big deal in medical circles, it's supposed to involve ground breaking research on blood diseases, mainly leukemia and cancer. Right now, he's working at UCLA, night shifts, obviously." He clicked to another page on the screen, "Here's something else, in addition to taking on a whole boatload of med courses at Harvard, Carlisle also seems to enjoy botany."

"Botany?" questioned Mick.

"Yeah, took a lot of courses in that field. Weird, who gets into plants as a living?"

Neither Mick nor Josef would have been able to answer in anyway that would have made that odd choice of Carlisle's make sense, so they merely tucked it away for future reference. "Logan was able to track down some of his recent purchases using his credit card. Seems that he's got nearly an entire laboratory of his own. He's ordered equipment that would better belong in a surgical room than a home."

"Were you able to track down his home address?" said Josef.

Mick shook his head. "I think we might still need a few days on that. The equipment was dropped off at a warehouse, and he must have picked them up himself, because we couldn't track the address. Also, Logan thinks he might be using multiple names to cover his tracks."

"That would certainly make sense. He obviously doesn't want to be discovered. This guy's is even craftier than I thought he would be."

"I guess that means we have to wait for now, and see what kind of move he makes."

Meanwhile, listening during this last conversation in the other room, Frederic turned his attention to Karlie and Beth. "It seems that Josef's gift for strategy has not faded over the years."

"What do you mean?" asked Beth, who had never heard that much about Josef's past story.

Frederic smiled, almost nostalgically. "I turned Josef during the Thirty Years War. I was commander of the regiment that Josef was a part of. Josef had one of the most calculating minds I have ever seen. It has served him well through the years, especially now that he's gotten into financing."

"I must admit that I have always wondered," said Karlie, "why you decided to turn Josef. I am quite glad that you did, but why him? You fought in war, surely, you must have seen other young men dying that you wanted to help."

Frederic shook his head, and his voice grew soft. "I could not prevent death from touching so many, I knew that. I tried to protect my men as best as I could, but I also had to keep myself from becoming too involved with their lives. However, Josef stood out. I suppose it stems from the way I myself was turned. I shan't bore you with the details of that story. But during the 1440's, my wife and children were killed in a plague. Since that time, I have never had what could be either the misfortune or the privilege to taste mortal love. Turning people does not just come from wanting to be with someone forever. For a vampire, siring is the only way that we can procreate. My desire to turn has always stemmed from wanting to remember what it was like to be a father. Every person I have ever turned has reminded in some way of the family that I have left behind. Josef was everything I would have wanted in a son. He was loyal to the death, shrewd, intelligent and clever. I knew that those were traits which would help him to live as a vampire. He has employed them well, though it did take him awhile to get started. But he has thrived better than any other I have turned. And I must admit that, though I cherish every person I have sired, Josef is quite special to me." He looked at Karlie and smiled, in the old-world courtly way. Both of the women rather suspected that used that charm to make any freshie he fed off of more than willing to donate a little blood. "And, if I may say so, he is made more so by the fact that he has finally found a steady women that he can trust. To be quite honest, I am rather surprised that Josef found someone like you. As I said earlier, Josef was normally attracted to the blond and dangerous."

"Did he really show the common sense of a mere sheep all the time?" said Karlie, "I would have hoped that he had at least some better taste."

"I might have been exaggerating a slight degree, but Josef was always too paranoid to attach himself permanently to anyone, let alone someone like you. I'm sure there's a story behind that, but he has been so distracted with this whole Carlisle business that I haven't gotten a chance to ask him."

Karlie smiled, "I think that I can shed some light on our story, Frederic. It happened almost completely by accident. One day, Josef saw me in New York's Grand Central Station, and it grew from there."

Frederic raised his eyebrows in apparent surprise. "Don't tell me this happened while you were still human?"

"Yes, it was actually. Josef turned me."

Frederic shook his head, almost disbelieving. "And I thought that I knew Josef better than anyone. Then he goes and falls in love with a human to the point that he not only turns her, he stays with her for the next fifty years, and doesn't seem to want to leave her any time soon. You don't know how fortunate you are, Karlie."

Karlie smiled. "Oh, I think that I do, Frederic. And I never allow myself to forget it."

* * *

Meanwhile, across town, in one of the back rooms of a nondescript Holiday Inn, a similar process of investigating backgrounds was in the process of happening, only was borne of a much darker purpose than was there's. Henri Duvall had arrived there a few hours ago, to make plans with his cohorts. The first phase of his plan was complete; now he had to make sure that all was ready for the second. Of course, since arriving in LA, he had been run into certain assets and challenges which he had not been necessarily expecting. However, if there was anything that Henri had inherited from his sire, it was cunning, and the ability to take anything in a situation, and make it work to his advantage.

There is a black sheep in every large family, a secret that everyone would like to keep hidden. But when you can live forever, those secrets have a way of being found out. Henri was the black sheep of the royal Duvall line. Due to the constant inbreeding in Europe's royalty back in the middle part of the 1700's, he had never been stable before he was turned. His mind had always resided somewhere in the border between madness and sanity. When he had been turned, the line between those two states of mind had become even more blurred. He saw things as he wanted to see them, and nothing in the world could convince otherwise of something he had set his mind on. And unfortunately, the entire world had done him wrong. And the ones who he hated most, were his own family.

He had never been able to adapt to being a vampire. He resented the decision that had been made without his knowledge or consent, and had made him little more than a prisoner in a never-changing body. He had been a violent and nearly uncontrollable fledging. He had hunted openly in the dark streets of Paris, killing indiscriminately and without thought for the people he fed on. He may have hated the fact that he was a vampire, but he, like nearly everyone else in the Duvall line, had been raised with the idea that they were special and above the common people. The peasants existed for no other reason but to serve the desires of those above them. Henri had merely considered it his right to feed off of them, since that's what they were there for. However, his continued acts of violence had begun to draw too much attention to the sire and family. After repeated warnings and offences, Valentin had had no other option but to restrict his freedom, keeping him a virtual prisoner in France, never allowing Henri to have the full reign of the blood lust he could not control.

From sire to brother the task of jail keeper had been passed down. For over three hundred years, the eldest of the bloodline, Alexandre, had kept Henri under close supervision in Paris. Though Henri was freer in more recent times than he had been in the past, yet still he could not come and go as he wished. But he had used the time he had well. He had never forgiven, and he planned his revenge well. He had destroyed his sire without a second thought; he would do the same with his family.

He had come to LA for just that purpose, along with a few vampires whom he had met over the years that were loyal to his cause, or at least, to the enormous sums of money which he provided them with to be his eyes and ears in the outside world. One of his oldest friends was a man named Christopher, who was technological wizard when it came to all things illegal. His expertise had proved invaluable during this last raid on Josef Koston's security and information systems. They had not been after the normal targets of a thief. What they had wanted was found in Josef's computer. They had hacked into his personal database and downloaded e-mail addresses and phone numbers. They could now read e-mails, eavesdrop on phone calls, hear every single thing that passed between the people that they were the most interested in, and none of them would have been any the wiser. That gave them an edge in the planning of their next move and told them where all the main players in his plans were.

"And you are absolutely certain that they have no knowledge that they even suspect that we are here?"

"No, I'm monitoring the information that they're researching." Said Christopher, "They're looking at Carlisle's accomplishments over the past few years. They haven't even looked across the seas of France to see if there is anything strange happening over there."

"Even if they did, I doubt they would find anything. My family will want to keep the fact that I have escaped their clutches a secret, for as long as they can." Henri snorted in derision at the folly of those nearest in blood to him. "They value their reputations more than the safety of their own kind. The world will be well rid of them. Some vampires may even want to thank me."

The blond vampire Anton who had been given the assignment of watching Beth, as well as keeping an eye on other characters, now said, "Now that Beth Turner is staying with St. John, it will be harder to get her alone. How will you figure that into your plans?"

"Quite well, if you can play your part right." said Henri, lightly, but with a touch of warning that would have been hard to deny. "The fact that the two of them seem to be joined at the hip could be of great use. If the two of them are together, than it will be easier taking them together. Those two are the key to my plan to bringing revenge upon my erstwhile family members."

Christopher looked up from the computer screens and grinned, with rather wickedly. He had known Henri for over two hundred years, and he had picked up a good deal of his employer's enjoyment of suffering. "Planning on putting them through a little unpleasant experiences are we?"

Henri's deep green eyes seemed to glitter with an insane, evil light. "In a manner of speaking. Once I have them in my hands, I will exact a revenge that has been a long time in coming for St. John. I intend to subject both of them to pain beyond anything that they have ever dreamed of. Of course, I will make St. John watch what I will do with Turner before I take care of him. I'll be sure to record the most painful parts of their ordeal for posterity and for Josef Koston. Judging by how close he is to them both, it will send him into a rage that only the death of my brother will satisfy. Of course, Carlisle will seem to be to blame for the whole thing."

"What makes you so sure that Koston will react in such a manner?" Said Philippe, another follower of Henri, who served mainly as a sort of chief of security. He had first met him when he had been hired to keep him from escaping in the first place. Instead, Philippe had been instrumental in bringing Henri out of France alive and unnoticed. "St. John, from what Anton has seen and what you've told us is neither old enough to be of any worth or seems to particularly relish what he is in the first place. Koston should know better than to waste his time on such a pathetic specimen of vampirism."

Henri smiled sourly. "Not everyone holds loyalty in the same contempt that I do. There are some who actually hold the belief that it yields something. Koston may be over four hundred years old, but he is still naïve in so many ways. Those who have earned his trust he will fight to the death to defend. And, when he thinks that Carlisle is the one responsible for it, he will stop at nothing to kill him. Carlisle, being the coward that he is, will not fight. And so, that will bring the rest of the family down on him, resulting in a vampire war from which none of them will return alive."

The recital of his master plan awakened within Henri a mad, passionate energy. His voice, though it did not gain much in volume, yet had climbed to a fever pitch in intensity. It seemed as though this plan was the only thing that he took delight in; it was true, up to a point. Planning his revenge against the family he believed to have betrayed him had been the only thing that had kept him going all these years.

Though everyone who followed him was used to these periods when Henri seemed to tread more the realms of madness than sanity, yet no amount of seeing and hearing it over the years could ever fully make them immune from feeling a little disturbed at their master's moods. But, on the other hand, it could be counted as something of an advantage. It meant that those who followed him were too frightened to turn against him, for fear that mad rage could turn against them. So, Christopher, Anton, Philippe and the others followed what he said without question.

The fits of near madness did not last long most times, and soon Henri was back in control of his speech once again. "But, that is still a little ways off. For now, we have more immediate concerns. I think it is time that we brought my brother face to face with Mick St. John and Josef Koston. It is time that they knew who they were dealing with."

"How are we going to do that?" asked Anton.

"Simple," said Henri, "we are going to put Beth Turner in the hospital."

* * *

Yes, I know. I left you with kind of a cliffhanger. Please read and review. (I also hope that I have acquited Carlilse. He is supposed to be a good character, and I must admit that I am growing rather fond of him).

Next chapter: An attack will bring Carlisle into the paths of Beth, Mick, Josef and Karlie. What will happen when he comes face to face with these people who suspect him as an enemy?


	11. Predators in the Dark

Here are two new chapters for Family Feud. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and is enjoying this.

Predators in the Dark:

Guillermo was the closest thing that the vampire community in LA had to doctor. Unfortunately, his bent ran more towards to dead human bodies, rather than undead vampires. His expertise was more than common knowledge, but it was by no means expert.

Thusly, after a few days, Guillermo was able to fill in some of the details, though not much. "There were a lot of strange things that were injected into your blood, Karlie." said Guillermo, to Karlie, as well as Frederic and Josef. "Far as I can tell, the work itself is pretty advanced. Unfortunately, I can't tell much because the anomalies themselves are based on something that I'm not familiar with."

"What do you mean?" asked Karlie.

"Mostly with humans, the type of memory alteration which you told me about is done with chemical-based compounds. But as far as I could see, the compounds in your bloodstream were plant-based."

"Plant-based?" questioned Frederic.

"Yeah, and I don't know anything about plants. Vampires aren't normally effected by plants, even the ones which are poisonous to humans, so I never really bothered to spread my horizons."

"Are you trying to tell me there's a plant that can disrupt a vampire's internal systems?" said Josef, with both skepticism and worry evident on his face. It suddenly made sense to him why Carlisle would want to have botany on the side with his medical training. "If that's really true, than we could really be in trouble from this guy. But you can't find out anymore?"

"Not myself, no. but I might know someone who could."

"Who?"

Guillermo seemed to pause for a moment, as though he were unsure that he should have said that in the first place. However, he figured that it would be safe enough to mention him; after all, it wasn't like he had to tell the name of the person that he knew. "I've got a colleague who just started working here in LA. He's pretty good at this sort of thing. I think he might be able to tell us the answer."

"What's his name?"

"I think he would prefer to remain anonymous." Said Guillermo, almost carefully, "His work tends to put him at odds with people in high places." He did not mention that sometimes it was his very appearance that could make him at odds with people in high places.

Josef raised his eyebrows and was actually able to let loose a wry smile. "Well, if he's worth his while, perhaps you could bring him to my attention. I'm sure that I could put him to good use and keep any trouble off of his tail."

"I'll mention it to him when I see him." said Guillermo, though he did not really mean it. Indeed, he could not help but think that if Josef knew the true identity of the person he was talking about, the Elder would have been one of the last to try and do him a favor.

* * *

Henri Duvall was not only making use of the wonders of modern technology to put his mad ideas for revenge into effect. He had also rented a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where he practiced some more traditional forms of trouble-making, and the basis of which he actually had to thank his brother for.

Henri had made a point of using his imprisonment to good use in the last one hundred years. He may have never been allowed to go anywhere, but beyond that, he did have anything he could ask for, including volumes from his family's library. It just happened that the collection of the Duvall family included the journals that his brother Carlisle had penned during the Revolution, when he had begun researching the effect of the plant species, _allium sativum_ upon vampire physiology. Of course, to those who did speak Latin for a living, _allium sativum_ was known as garlic. They had proved to be very informative, and Henri had begun to conduct his own experiments, in secret to their real purpose of course. So far, he had developed the compound that served to mask vampire scent. He had also discovered that garlic could also be a sedative, causing vampires to black out without the need for stakes or silver. What's more, he was in the process of perfecting yet another mix that affected the memory centers of a vampire's brain. It had already been tested, it seemed, with some positive outcome on Miss Karlie Dashwood. In theory, when injected with the drug, the memories of the past hour were erased, and those of the past twelve rendered as insubstantial and unsure as a dream.

Yes, Henri had proved to be quite the chemist, and the irony did not escape him: the fact that his brother's work, which had been the instrument of their salvation during the Revolution, would now serve as the mechanism which destroyed his entire family.

While he was working in the lab, Anton came to update him on his progress. He found Henri bent over a microscope, looking at something intently through the lens. "Still playing the chemist, are we?" He joked, as he came into the room.

Henri looked up and smiled. "More than playing. I am in the process of perfecting the memory-altering compound. I think there is a possibility I could use it to alter the memory for a period of twenty-four hours."

Anton held up his hands. "Please, don't get started with me. I was never very good with science. I just came from the campus."

"Still keeping Miss Turner in you sights?"

"As much as I could. St. John showed up during her break, at three in the afternoon. Good thing that it was cloudy or that sun would have been murder for both of us. I am going to need some freezer time before I can do anymore following."

"You'll get some, don't worry. But I am glad to see that the temperature is rising. Fear leads humans to make mistakes, and since this St. John is so weak willed as to spend time with a human, I am hoping that he will be the same way when it comes to her safety."

At that moment, Henri's phone began to ring. It was Christopher. "Christopher," said Henri, "what do you have for me?"

"I have the jackpot." Said Christopher, sounding elated. "I just intercepted a conversation between Beth and Karlie Dashwood. Seems that Miss Turner is feeling the pressure with you little stalking maneuver. She was seeking solace in Miss Dashwood, as most women do. And, also true to the mindset of women, Dashwood's suggestion make everything better was to take Beth Turner for a little night shopping tomorrow."

Henri smiled wickedly, "Which means that for several hours, they will be unprotected and without supervision. Perfect, Christopher, you have made yourself invaluable once again."

"That's what you pay me for, Henri. I'll text you all the information. I'm sure that you can take it from there."

Henri hung up and looked up at Anton, who had heard every word. "Anton, I have another project for you. Leave the off the stalking for now. I want you to try and see if you can scrape the bottom barrel of vampire society in this city."

"Why?"

"Just as in human circles, the most desperate will endeavor anything for a little hard cash. There are beggars that need to be dealt with, vampires who can't come by blood as easily as others, and will do anything to get it. Find them, and tell them there is a little rough work to be done. This will be the event which places Beth Turner in the hospital."

"And brings them in line with your brother." Concluded Anton.

"Exactly. Oh, to see that look on the faces of all parties involved when they see the one who they think to be responsible for all this working right under their noses. You have the contact all lined up at the hospital to keep an eye on Carlisle's movements as well?"

"Yes, though I cannot say much for all the information we can get. He's just a physician, and has a great deal of respect for Carlisle. I may not be able to get anything more than his duty shifts and any projects he's working on."

"That will suffice. We don't want to get Carlisle to suspicious to quickly. We leave that for Josef Koston and Mick St. John."

* * *

It had not been easy at first for Karlie to convince Mick that Beth would be safe enough with her for a few hours on the town, but once he had seen that Beth desperately needed a little time with a girlfriend, he relented, but insisting that Beth call him every once and awhile when they were apart.

The two had had a good time, trying on clothes, and buying a few things that had stood out. They had hit the jackpot when they had encountered a used book store that happened to be open later than usual. They had probably spent more at the bookstore than they had on the clothing they had bought. Having dropped those things off at Karlie's car, they were topping off the evening by going for a quick drink at a nearby bar that Beth had recommended. Though not a vamp establishment, the drinks were still good and the DJ was supposed to be amazing.

Karlie could see that the evening had done Beth good. She seemed more relaxed than she had seen her and was clearly enjoying herself. However, she still looked over her shoulder every once and awhile, as if to be sure that they were alone. When she saw her do it for the hundredth time that evening, Karlie finally said, "Beth, please, don't worry. Everything will be fine. I don't think that even your stalker could have found you tonight. We've been all over."

Beth blushed a little, and smiled, trying to put her friend at ease. "I'm fine, really. I feel safe, knowing that you're with me. But I still don't like feeling that I'm the plaything of some sadistic vampire. I just want to be in control of my own life again."

Karlie put an arm around Beth. "Don't worry, you will soon. If I know Mick like I do, than it won't be long until we get some sort of breakthrough. You know how persistent he is, being a detective and everything. Plus, it's not all bad. You do get to stay over at his house for awhile."

Beth grinned. "Well yes, there is that. You know, he tried to cook me dinner last night when I got home from school because he thought that I would be too tired to make anything myself."

"Mick cooked you dinner?"

"Well, it was a frozen dinner, along with an apple and a baked potato, but it was the thought that counts. And it wasn't half bad."

"I can imagine that no one can push the buttons on a microwave quite like Mick can."

"Actually, he used the oven."

"Oh, wow Beth you have got yourself a keeper. Don't ever let him go."

The lightened mood had served to take Beth's mind off of things, and they were able to continue in that vein for several minutes, unaware that all around them, in the dark, predators were gathering.

Suddenly, Karlie stopped dead in her tracks. She inhaled and tensed, a look of worry crossing her face. Beth noticing said, "Karlie?"

Instead of answering, Karlie pushed Beth to the ground, just in time to avoid the attack of a vampire who had appeared out of nowhere, and who had been aiming straight for Beth. Instead, he met Karlie, who had vamped in the space of five seconds and met the unfortunate attacker with a strong uppercut to the jaw and solid blow to the stomach.

It was cleat that the first was not the only one. Karlie could sense three others besides him and they were all closing in. she could sense that they were all on the youngish side, perhaps only turned for a few years. She could only hope that they were as inexperienced as the first, or she would be in trouble. The odds were against her, but her first thought was to protect Beth, no matter what the cost.

Thusly, when she caught a flash of movement to her left, Karlie jumped in that direction, landing on the back of a female vampire, and bringing her to the ground. The two were matched in size and weight, and for a few seconds they wrestled around each other, neither of them of them gaining the upper hand, but then Karlie managed to get a hold on her neck and snapped the bones viciously. Two down, two to go.

She got to her feet quickly, scenting the air around her. The remaining two attackers were not taking any chances, and they were keeping their distance, even as they tried to seek for an opening of some kind.

"It wasn't supposed to be this hard." Whispered one of them to the other. "Maybe we should split before we get killed."

"We do this; we get enough for blood for at east six months." Said the other. He turned to Karlie. "Come on, sweetheart, just step back and leave this to us. What's this human to you?"

Karlie growled and took a menacing step forward. "What's the matter? Are you afraid of me?"

He laughed harshly. "Believe me, girl, I could take you on and make it look easy. But, our job wasn't to harm you. We were told that it's the human we should worry about. So if you'll just run along, we'll get this over with much easier."

Karlie cocked her head, "You were hired to do this, really? Why?"

The one who was doing the talking (and who had a great deal of brawn, but didn't seem to have anything resembling a brain), thought that he might be getting through to this female. "Someone's got it in for that little friend of yours, an old one with a lot of money and power if his contact was anything to be believed. You won't want to make an enemy of him, trust me."

"Well, you won't want to make an enemy out of me either." Said Karlie, darkly. Despite the suspicions that were forming in her mind, she had a job to do. She wasn't exactly afraid of her attackers, but it was Beth that she was concerned about.

Then again, perhaps she should have remembered that for the past two years, Mick had taught Beth how to protect herself against vampires, and she never went anywhere unarmed. A shot suddenly rang through the night, and the attacker who had spoken first, reeled backward, roaring in agony. Karlie shot a glance at Beth, who had managed to scramble to her knees and was pointing smoking gun at the vampire. It was clear that she had shot him with a bullet of silver. "Thank you for that." said Karlie.

Beth grinned, but then she shouted, "Karlie, look out."

Karlie's momentary lapse of attention had given the last vampire a chance. He came towards her and she had barely had time to duck and roll out of the way. She squared off with the last attacker. They exchanged blows for a few seconds, and just when Karlie thought that she would be having a challenge, she heard a scream that came from Beth's direction. And when she saw what was happening, she cried out, "Beth!"

They had both forgotten about the first attacker, who had recovered from Karlie's assault and had attacked Beth from behind. Beth hadn't had a chance to get the gun in place, and she had been thrown against the wall roughly by the vampire, who was clawing at her arms and neck with his hands. Already, long stripes were visible and bleeding along Beth's arms.

Enraged, Karlie attacked her own assailant with renewed force, forcing him back, until she saw what she was looking for, and then, she pounced, and attached her fangs to his neck, beheading him within a few seconds. That was enough it seemed for the first one; he was no mood to face the wrath of Karlie and immediately took to his heels when she turned her cold gaze on him. Karlie thought about going after him, but she knew that she couldn't be bothered with him right now. Beth was her priority right now.

Rushing over to her, she said, "Beth, are you all right?"

Beth was trembling and the look on her face clearly said that she was in pain, but she managed to smile and say, "It's not as bad as it looks. He didn't get his fags into me. But those fingers, they felt like claws, and they hurt just as much."

"Vampire nails are like that. They can easily tear apart a limb. You're lucky that they didn't do worse." She looked at the arm briefly and said, "I don't think that this is severe, but we should get you to the hospital just to be sure that this isn't worse."

"Did you hear what he said?" Said Beth, as she was helped to her feet by Karlie, "You think someone hired them to do this?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Said Karlie, "This isn't a high risk area for vampire attacks. I think that they were rogues, vampires who will take any job if the price is right for blood. And I don't think that we have to guess who set them on."

Beth felt a shiver pass down her spine. "Carlisle Duvall? How did he know where to find us?"

"I don't know, but we can't worry about that right now." They had managed to get to the car by this time and Karlie helped Beth into the car. "Mick is probably going to kill me when he finds out about this." She said, as she started the car.

Beth managed to smile. "Don't worry, I'll tell him that you protected me."

"I hope that you are right." said Karlie, as she took her cell phone and got ready to dial Josef. "I'll tell them to meet us at the hospital and who's responsible. Either way, I don't think this will sit well with either of them."


	12. Not as it Seems

Not as it Seems:

Karlie knew that a hospital was not the smartest place for a vampire like her to be in, but she refused to leave Beth. And the young physician, who was attending to her, took one look at Karlie's dangerously glowering face and instantly knew that it was wiser for her to simply have her way.

It didn't take long for the physician to examine Beth's injuries. They were not severe, and would easily heal with some stitches and antibiotics to ease any chance of infection. However, Karlie's relief turned to slight worry when she heard the physician say. "Still, though they aren't all that deep, I would like to have the doctor we have on call come in to have a look at this."

"Is that necessary?"

"Well, these scratches look more like the claws of some wild animal. I need to get a second opinion so that there isn't any doubt as to the course of treatment."

Beth, noticing that Karlie looked a little worried, said in a low voice when he had gone. "What's the matter?"

"I just don't know if I am entirely comfortable with a doctor looking at you with the wounds of a vampire. Vampire nails _are _really more like claws, and if a doctor insists on looking to closely, it could cause questions to be asked that would be better left unsought of."

Before Beth could respond, the physician returned with who they both assumed to be the doctor who was on call for that night. And before they were in the room, Karlie caught the tail end of their conversation. "I'm surprised that you're here Doctor. You're usually down in the research department this time of night."

"Yes, I am." Responded a smooth and gentile voice, "But Dr. Craven won't be here until midnight, and they couldn't find anyone else to cover his shift. So, I stepped into help."

Karlie was completely surprised when the two men stepped into the room and she smelt that the tall, well-built doctor with shoulder length black hair was a vampire. When he saw her, he too stopped and regarded with perhaps an equal amount of surprise. However, he was able to get over it quickly, and he said, "John, I don't think that I'll be needing your services for the moment. You can wait outside. I'll call you back when I've made my determination."

"Whatever you say, sir."

Once they were alone, he turned to the two of them with a reassuring smile, which seemed to be as much for Beth and Karlie. "Now, what seems to be the matter with you, Miss Turner?" He asked, in a voice that was not at all impersonal or patronizing, but genuinely caring for Beth's comfort.

"It's not anything really," said Beth, who, for some reason, felt as though she could have easily trusted her life with this doctor and known that she would have been safe in his hands. "You probably didn't even have to waste time to come down here."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, I can assure you. You must forgive John. He's new here, and it's his first job at a major hospital. The newbies always tend to panic when there is no need." He gently took the arm that had the five long scratches from elbow to hand. A troubled look flashed across his face and he cast a glance at Karlie, as if questioning her silently that the wounds were indeed what he suspected them to be. She nodded. "And it is perhaps fortunate that it was me who came to this than anyone else." He said.

He continued asking Beth a few more questions, which she had already answered multiple times that evening, but Karlie did not really hear. She was looking at the vampire in front of her, unsure how she should read him. Of course, she knew that there were not many vampire doctors inn Los Angeles, or anywhere else that she had ever heard of; in fact, the only one she had heard of recently was… But, no, surely this could not be the infamous Carlisle Duvall that she had heard so much about. The doctor who was standing in front of Beth right now might have been a vampire, but he did not seem at all bothered by the smell of Beth's blood (which even Karlie had to admit was of the more tasty kind, though she would never have dreamed of drinking from Beth, even had she offered). And the care, tenderness and compassion which he was showing to her were remarkable, beyond anything she had even seen a human doctor do. He didn't even seem to be thinking about it, it was just second nature.

It was almost as if he sensed her questions. After he had done with Beth, he said, "And you, Miss Dashwood, there is just one thing that I would like to speak with you about, if I might in the hall." He smiled once again at Beth and said, "There is no need for you to worry, Miss Turner. Within a few weeks, these wounds will be but a memory. If you're lucky, they won't even leave a scar."

Beth smiled back at him. "Thank you again."

Karlie followed him out into the hallway, and heard him say to John, "There isn't anything to worry about, John. Those scratches were most likely caused by a large dog of some sort. Don't go pestering Miss Turner with questions about it, though. She has had a very long evening and she needs her rest."

John nodded, clearly showing that he would follow his superiors' orders to the letter before he hurried back into the room. With that, he turned to Karlie and said, "I know, it's not normal for one of our kind to work in surroundings such as this. But I've been doing this for a very long time. I've learned to ignore the temptation, and as long as I keep the proper hydration, it's not that much of a problem for someone as old as me."

The explanation was said with such calmness that Karlie became more convinced that this couldn't be the villain of this crime. From what she had heard of Carlisle Duvall, she thought that he had asked her in the hallway for a confrontation. He wouldn't have explained himself like this. And his words and attitude made her see the good sense in him right away. "I was a little surprised, to be quite honest. It's not something that you see every day when you're one of us."

"Yes, I know. But be assured, I never feed off of my patients. I certainly wouldn't do anything with Miss Turner. You two seem very close."

"We are, practically like sisters. Thank you very much for covering for us."

"You're welcome. Anything to help the community. I would only caution to not let Miss Turner walk too openly after too dark. It seems that she has run afoul of one of our kind. I do hope that she won't come to any harm again."

"Don't worry, she'll be well protected. Anyone who wants to hurt her will have a lot to answer too."

Carlisle smiled at the determination he heard in her voice. "Yes, I can see that. She is lucky to have friends who are willing to protect her." Suddenly, he stiffened. He closed his eyes and inhaled.

"Is something wrong?" asked Karlie. She too inhaled, and amidst the scents wafting through the halls of the hospital, she was able to pick out two very familiar scents.

She looked off to the side, and saw Mick and Josef standing at one end of the hallway. That was not exactly surprise. She had expected them to be there. What was somewhat disturbing was the look which they were casting in their direction, and specifically at the doctor that she was speaking too.

Josef was staring at him, a death glare that was enough to send shivers down even her spine. His body was stiff and rigid, a clear sign that he was incredibly angry. Mick, though he may not have been as intense as Josef was still regarding the doctor with a cold stare, that told clearly he was suspicious. And the man who was the target of all this scrutiny returned their looks calmly, but there was still worry in his face. He seemed to know that he was on Josef's territory, and whatever he did, he would have to do slowly and carefully. Especially with Josef, who tended to strike first and ask questions later (if anyone still happened to be alive, of course).

Karlie could not quite understand what was warranting such a strong reaction on either side. She could understand why Mick would be protective of Beth in such surroundings, especially since they must have sensed by now that this doctor was a vampire, but this seemed to be no mere case of being protective. It was almost as if they considered him a threat.

Carlisle looked at the two vampires, and seemed to notice Josef in particular, before he turned to Karlie and said, in a low voice. "Perhaps it would be best if you saw how Miss Turner is doing." Abruptly, he walked off in the direction of Mick and Josef. He didn't even pause to glance at him, but it was clear that he meant them to follow him. Josef looked at Karlie, as if asking her whether or not everything was all right. She could only nod, for it was clear that this was no time for explanation. Josef seemed satisfied with that answer. He turned to Mick and said something to him, and then the two of them went after the doctor.

Mystified by what she had just seen, Karlie retreated back into the room, where Beth was in the process of getting her stitches into her arm. "Everything all right?" asked Beth.

"I don't know. I may have to ask Josef about it later." Was Karlie's evasive answer, for though she would have liked to have told Beth what she had just witnessed, yet she knew that this was not the place for such a conversation.

John looked up from his ministrations, and said, as if to make conversation to fill up what would have otherwise been an awkward silence, "So, what do you think of him?"

"Who?" asked Karlie, still a little distracted.

But that ended abruptly with John's next words. "Dr. Duvall, he's great isn't he?"

Karlie's head snapped around and Beth too stared at John in shock. "Duvall?" Repeated Beth.

"Yes, Dr. Carlisle Duvall. He's one of our best doctors, on the floor or in the lab. He just moved out here, from Harvard I think. He has got such a reputation in the medical field. Such a natural touch. A lot of people in the department really look up to him, myself included."

Karlie had to try really hard to wrap her mind around what she had jut heard. That man had been Carlisle Duvall, the man who was at the center of all their suspicions, the one who had seemingly attacked Beth that night. But, he had seemed like the complete opposite of everything she had heard said about him. That man, who had treated Beth, was not a monster.

Carlisle Duvall was supposed to be the enemy. Why all of a sudden did she realize that she had met him, and the last thing she was feeling was hatred or anger? Indeed, she felt a strange sense of admiration. She had a deep respect for those vampires who chose to use their superior powers to help humans, and here was one of them who was putting himself in the way of temptation daily, for nothing more than a clear desire to make their lives better. And there could have been no doubt that he was sincere in his work. What was going on?

As the young physician rattled on, Karlie saw that Beth was also struggling with some of the same questions. From that hour, a doubt would grow in the minds of both Beth and Karlie, a doubt that, though they could not yet give voice too, would make them begin to wonder if, perhaps, this was one of those times when things were not always as they seem.

* * *

Mick and Josef arrived at the hospital, and it was a simple matter to say that they were there to see Beth Turner in order to get into the main hospital. "The security around here isn't all that great." Remarked Mick, "I hope that Beth doesn't have to stay the night here. She won't be as safe here if anyone can just waltz in and see her."

"And of course no hospital staff will be more attentive then you are at making her better. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun playing nurse." Said Josef. And when Mick shot him a glare, he said, "Don't look at me like that Mick, you know that I'm right."

"Does your mind ever come out of that twisted place where it resides most of the time?" asked Mick.

"Why should my mind be elsewhere?" Josef shot back in response. He could see that Mick still was uptight, and so he said, "Mick, relax. Karlie said that Beth was fine, just a little scratched up."

"I just won't be easy until I see her safe."

Josef knew that there was no way he could get Mick to relax, so he let the matter and the conversation drop. A few minutes later, they rounded the corner into the hallway where Beth was being looked at, and what Josef saw caused him to stop instantly. Karlie was talking to a male vampire who appeared to be a doctor. But not even that surprised him as much as who the vampire was.

He grabbed Mick's arm, stopping him from going forward. "Mick, wait."

"Why, what's the matter?"

Josef nodded to the vampire who was speaking with Karlie, his eyes growing dark and his voice dangerous. "That, I believe, is Carlisle Duvall."

Mick stared at Josef in shock, than looked back at Karlie and the other vampire. When he saw him, the resemblance between him and Coraline was unmistakable. They had the same classic features, the same hair color; the two even smelt faintly the same.

The realization that he was standing only ten feet away from the man who had hurt his Beth did not do much for Mick's frame of mind. He tensed, as if ready to go launching at Carlisle, but Josef still had a firm grip on his arm. "No, Mick." He said, in a low voice, "Not here, you know the rules."

By this time, Carlisle and Karlie had noticed them. Carlisle recognized Josef almost immediately, and Karlie looked at the two of them questioningly. The French vampire looked at him closely, then turned to Karlie and said something to her, then walked off abruptly. He did not turn to look at Josef, but said in a tone that was only audible to them as he passed. "You want to talk, Konstantin? In my office."

Josef looked at Karlie for a split second and nodded to her questioningly, an unspoken question make sure that she was okay. But still seemed a little mystified. Josef would have to explain things to her later. For right now, he turned back to Mick and said, "Come on, I think that it's time we got some answers."

"Good idea. I, for one, am not leaving till he gives me a good explanation."

Carlisle's office was one floor above them. Carlisle, aware that things could get ugly and wanting to cause the least amount of trouble that he could, told his secretary to allow two men who would to see into his office and hold any calls that he might have had. He had a few minutes of breathing time to prepare himself and he tried to take advantage of them as he could. He should have known that sooner or later he would be meeting with Josef. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but perhaps that thinking had been all too wishful. He had to deal carefully with him. Carlisle knew himself to be innocent, but he was aware of Josef's reputation. And though he did not fear him, yet he knew that he had to treat the Elder with respect, and watch what he said.

When Mick and Josef entered his office, they found him standing calmly in the center of the room, and when he spoke, his voice was measured and even. "Josef Konstantin, it's been rather a long time. The last time I saw you, Louis XVI had not yet gone to the guillotine. The court spent all of it's time throwing those extravagant parties. I have not seen their equal since."

Josef stared at Carlisle coldly. He was not in the mood to reminisce. "You were never much for joining in those parties yourself, Carlisle, so I'm surprised that you remember me. But I didn't come here to talk about that. Let me come straight to the point. What are you doing here?"

"I am working here, Konstantin, I should think that would have been obvious."

"Don't try and be funny, Carlisle. I could assume that by the fact that I saw you talking to my wife just a few minutes ago."

Carlisle's eyes showed recognition, as though he were putting two and two together. "Oh, so that was your wife. Charming woman, Josef, I commend you for your choice."

Josef took a menacing step forward and growled, "You stay away from her, do you hear me? You lay a hand on her and I'll kill you."

Carlisle's eyes flickered with faint surprise. "Such strong language, Josef." He said, almost confused, "What prompts this protectiveness I'm picking up from you? If you're here merely to warn me, than get on with it. I have heard it many times before and it gets a little tiresome, and I have work to do tonight."

"I can't believe your being so calm after what you did tonight." Said Mick, coldly, who could not remain silent any longer. "You were talking with Karlie; I can only assume that was because you examined Beth Turner."

Carlisle looked at Mick, as though really seeing him for the first time. For a moment, he could not answer, because he seemed to be examining Mick intently, as though the sight of his face was stirring more than one memory. "I am a doctor, sir. That's what I do. If I may ask, what's you're name?"

Mick scoffed. "You want to know my name? I should have thought that you would have heard of me from your sister."

"My sister?" said Carlisle, confused.

"Yes, Coraline. Or didn't she think it worthwhile to tell you about me? Well, allow me to jog your memory. My name is Mick St. John. I'm the one who was turned by your sister."

"Mick St. John? You were the one who Coraline… But how can that be? Tell me, did you fight in either of the World Wars?"

"I'm not answering any of your questions; you're the one who's supposed to be answering us? How can you explain yourself or your actions tonight?"

"Can I ask to what action you are referring to?"

"I can't believe you just asked that." said Mick, who was growing angrier by the moment. "You have a lot of nerve. You're the one who put Beth in the hospital and now you're saying that you examined her. You're the one who put her here I the first place."

Carlisle shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. St. John. It is true that I examined Miss Turner, but I certainly didn't have anything to do with giving her those injuries in the first place. I assume that you are familiar with the Hippocratic Oath?"

"I can see that you obviously think that doesn't apply to you."

Carlisle growled, trying valiantly to keep his temper. "I can assure you, Mr. St. John, I take my duties as a doctor very seriously. I would never do anything to harm one of my patients, and to be quite frank, I resent what you are implying. Do you think that just because I'm related to Coraline, I share all of her views?"

"I can see that you share her penchant for causing a lot of mischief and then thinking that nothing is ever your fault and the entire world is against you."

"That tells me a lot about your views as to my sister's personality. It tells me nothing about what all of this has to do with me. Yes, I examined Miss Turner, but I have never met her until tonight. What possible reason could I have to want to hurt her."

"I can see why you're doing this. It's revenge. I don't love your sister, I don't want her back, and now you're trying to get back at me for loving a human, who you think is unworthy. Well, let me tell you that I won't be having you or any of your bloodline harming Beth Turner again! If you so much as lay a hand on her-"

"Mick, enough." Said Josef, who could see that the situation was starting to get out of hand. Mick's eyes were flashing silver, and his voice was beginning to take on the growl of a wolf protecting its mate. Carlisle himself was on the defensive, tense and ready to give as good as he got should Mick attack.

For his own part, Josef was just as angry with what he considered to be a display of Carlisle's obstinacy. But he had to be the responsible one, seeing as he was the eldest in this situation. "Calm down, both of you. I won't have a vamp fight breaking out in a hospital of all places." He shot a significant glance at Mick, telling him by his eyes to heed his warning before he did something he would regret. Mick, however reluctantly got the message, and backed down, though his eyes still fixed Carlisle with a death glare. Josef then turned to the French vampire, "As for you, Carlisle, I think that you had better leave this city before the trouble which follows your family around becomes more of an issue than it is. For this moment, there is no evidence against you, and so I can't pursue anything. But I can assure you that whatever you have planned won't work. If you harm Mick or Beth again for the sake of your revenge, nothing, not even your precious connection to the bloodline will be able to keep you safe. If you leave my city now, I will forget this ever happened."

At the very moment, Carlisle's cell phone on the desk rang. Before either Mick or Josef could see who it was on the screen, Carlisle immediately hit the ignore button and hid the phone in his pocket. They both thought that they saw a look of regret flashing across his face, but they could not be sure.

Once, Carlisle might have taken the warning quietly. He hated conflict, and he hated being the cause of that conflict. This time, he could not back down. Ties that he had not expected when he came to LA were beginning to take root in his heart as they had not done for over three hundred years. Things that Mick and Josef did not know and could not yet understand were compelling him to stay right where he was, regardless of the consequences. So, he raised his head and said, with the pride which three hundred years of being on the run could not entirely do away with, "Konstantin, I have no desire to cause trouble in your city. Whatever you may think, not everyone in my family is simply looking out for themselves. I only wanted a quiet life, and I certainly never intended to cross paths with you. But I cannot follow your suggestion. You are perfectly within your rights to ask me to leave, but let me have the chance to stand up for mine. I am not accused of anything, and unless a vampire has been so or is banished from a community, than he cannot be forcibly removed. What is more, I don't have to ask permission from you or anyone else about where I settle. You may think what you like, but I have done nothing wrong while I have been here. Present with me some proof, and then I will defend myself, but if all you have are allegations, then you have nothing to work with."

The three vampires glared at each other, before Josef finally said, "Then it seems that we have reached a stalemate. You'll wish that you had left when I find out the truth behind this."

"I'm sorry that you have reason to hate me, Josef. We know each other's positions. It seems that we have nothing more to say to each other."

"No, I guess that we don't." said Josef, "But don't be mistaken, this isn't over, not by a long shot." He turned to Mick, "Come on, Mick, let's see how Beth's doing."

Mick and Josef exited the room, Carlisle following a few seconds behind them, almost as if to make sure that they actually did leave. But no sooner had they stepped out into the hallway then who they run into but Guillermo. "Guillermo," said Mick, "what are you doing here?"

Guillermo seemed almost as surprised to see them, and for a moment he couldn't answer. He looked from Josef and Mick to Carlisle, and a worried look flashed across his face. The tension of the last meeting still hung in the air between the three vampires. "I was just dropping off the blood samples, you know, from Karlie. And I just thought-"

Carlisle, who was still standing behind Mick and Josef, suddenly shook his head, his eyes pleading with Guillermo not to give voice to what he was about to say. Guillermo saw it and quickly amended, "Well, anyway, I was just leaving. Fancy meeting you here, is everything all right?"

Josef looked back at Carlisle and said, "I don't know yet, Guillermo. But don't worry about it. Hopefully, this won't concern you." With that, the two vampires left, leaving Guillermo and Carlisle alone.

Guillermo looked at Carlisle in confusion. "What was that about? What do Mick and Josef have against you?"

"Just what everyone else already has against me." said Carlisle, almost sounding tired, "I can't explain here, Guillermo."

"Fine, but I think that I deserve an explanation, Carlisle. Because whether Josef meant it or not, I am concerned with this, more than I think he realizes."

"I just hope that it continues that way. Did you say that you had some blood samples for me?"

Guillermo nodded. "Yeah, vamp blood samples. They're pretty interesting, and I thought that you should take a look. I think that they should be right up your alley. And you might want to hurry. This is kind of priority."

Carlisle managed a smile. "Then I'll make it a priority. But I think I deserve an explanation for that as well. Come by soon. You know where to find me."

With that Carlisle and Guillermo separated. And if only Mick and Josef had known about the connection between them, perhaps they might have reconsidered their opinion of Carlisle Duvall, or at the very least, been not so hasty to leap to conclusions.

* * *

If this chapter was supposed to bring up a lot of questions, well that was sort of my goal. Hopefully, some of those will be answered in the next few chapters. For now, please and review. I can't wait to see what you think.

Next chapter: What is it that is keeping Carlisle in Los Angeles, even to the point of defying Josef? Quite a bit more than might be expected.


	13. Playing with Fire

Playing with Fire:

When the knock came at Amanda Greyson's door, she paused for a moment before answering. She inhaled the scent, feeling the heady rush in her system whenever she was near him, which was becoming more and more common nowadays.

"Amanda, I know you're there." Said the voice of Carlisle on the other side of the door, and it held a great deal of amusement. "Open up or I'll have to break the door in."

Amanda grinned and replied, "Then I could have you arrested for breaking and entering. I don't have to tell what a rotten place prison is for vampires."

"Come on, Amanda, please."

Amanda's grin grew wider and she opened the door. There stood Carlisle, holding a bouquet of white roses. "Your favorite." He said, handing her the flowers, "I remembered."

Amanda took the flowers, and though she was flattered by the gesture, she said teasingly. "This doesn't make up for the fact that you ignored my call yesterday. By rights, I should have broken our date."

"And yet despite the fact that I tried to call you back and you didn't answer, you didn't bother to call me to cancel the date directly. So, I can only assume subconsciously that you wanted to see me anyway."

Amanda laughed and shook her head, as she allowed Carlisle to come in. "Did you take a minor in psychology during your time at Harvard?"

"No, I caught up on it in my spare time." said Carlisle. "I thought that you were on duty tonight."

"Not until three in the morning. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I thought you would be in your uniform."

"Sorry, if I had known that you enjoyed seeing my in skin tight leather, I would have made more accommodations."

"It's not that I like seeing you in such attire," said Carlisle, with a devilish smile, "I like having the chance to take you out of it."

"Behave, Carlisle. No talk like that until after the first drink." She led him into the living room, where she gestured for him to take a seat on the couch. "What would you like? A+ or B-, not to mention scotch and bourbon."

"I'll take A+ with the bourbon. You've expanded your horizons, Amanda. The last time we met you only preferred B+."

"I drank so much of that during the blood shortage in World War II," said Amanda, as she poured Carlisle's drink and one of straight up B- for herself, "that I'm afraid I went off it for awhile." She came into the room and handed him his drink, sitting on one of the chairs opposite him. "So, are you going to tell me why exactly you ignored me yesterday?"

Carlisle took a moment to answer, drowning half of his drink before he said, "Well, if you must know, you happened to call me at the exact same moment that I was speaking with Josef Koston and Mick St. John."

Amanda's eyes grew worried. "What? How did they know you were here? What were they doing in the hospital?"

"Apparently Mick St John's girlfriend, a human named Beth was injured by a group of vampires. I happened to be the physician on call and I examined her. That brought me into the path of St. John and Koston."

"But surely they can't think that you had anything to do with-" But Carlisle was shaking his head, "They did? But, why?"

"My family's reputation and it seems my own in particular has followed me here quicker than I would have liked. For some reason, they think that I am behind the attack. They demanded an explanation, but I naturally could not give them one."

"I'm surprised that they gave you the chance even for that. Mick is notoriously protective. I would have thought he would have staked you as soon as looked at you. You're not in any danger, are you?"

"No, at least not immediately. They have no evidence against me, Amanda. So there is not much that they can do. Even Josef must play by the rules."

"They didn't just leave it at that?"

"No, Josef asked me to leave, as he is well within his rights to do, but I had to tell him no." Amanda looked at him, surprised. "Are you surprised?"

"Well, to be quite honest, yes. So often, you have to leave."

"I don't have to leave now, Amanda, not yet. To be truthful, this might be one time when I defy the authority and stay in one place as long as I can."

"What's so different this time?"

Carlisle looked at her, his expression earnest. "Do you really need to ask me that, Amanda? I'm looking at the reason why right now."

Amanda may have been a tough Cleaner, and there was a certain amount of harness that must go into such a job. The scenes which she had been witness to would not have been for the faint of heart. However, she was not emotionless, so when she heard this statement from Carlisle, she felt stronger than ever the connection which she had forged with hiim, which time nor the knowledge of his background could fully break. She got up from her seat and moved over to sit beside him. "You would be wiling to defy Josef, just for the chance to stay with me?"

"I would defy a lot more for you, Amanda. You don't have to worry about being discovered. Mick and Josef didn't see that it was you who called me."

Amanda smirked, "Oh, so you can be all noble and sacrificing, but I as the defenseless female can't?"

Carlisle might had objected at these words, but before he could do so, Amanda suddenly crawled into his lap, with a look that would make one think that she was the cat who had all the cream she could want. "Let me tell you something, Carlisle," she purred, as she began to run her fingers through his hair, "I'll stand with you, I'll take your part if Josef even asks me. I want to have the chance to be the hero in this relationship, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Are we still talking about the same thing?" he asked, with a smile.

"No, I highly doubt it." said Amanda, and bent forward to kiss him.

There was an immediate difference in their senses between this kiss and any other that they might have shared ever since being thrown back together so unexpectedly. Old desires that had long lain dormant flared into being once more. Need flooded through them both, for love and for blood.

Carlisle's mouth opened against hers and he felt her tongue slide into his mouth, while he did likewise with her. His hands were running over her body, finding by instinct all the places where her pleasure had been the most by his touch. That combined with the intoxicating taste which she had in his mouth meant that it was only a matter of time before her inner vampire rose within her.

Carlisle felt her pulling her away from him and for a brief second, the two looked into each other's eyes, his still human, but deep wells of desire and hers now silver. "I should warn you, Amanda," he said, "become involved with me and you will be playing with fire at some point in the future."

Amanda smirked and said, "And being a vampire, fire will get me burned." She bent to his neck, running her lips and tongue over the veins where she could smell his blood flowing. She heard Carlisle's deep growl as his hold tightened on her, "But I'm a Cleaner, Carlisle. My entire job is dealing with risk." Her fangs came down and she bit into his skin. She had forgotten how truly wonderful he tasted. His blood seared and thrilled through her veins; passion burned in her soul, and she gave in completely to the desire that she had had ever since she had first laid sight on Carlisle.

At the feeling of her fangs piercing his skin, the last wall of Carlisle's resistance effectively crumbled into dust. Only Amanda, so swiftly and effectively, could stir up his desire this fast. His eyes grew silver, and his fangs were distended. Thirst he had not been able to satisfy for years suddenly came sharp and burning in his throat. No sooner had Amanda removed her fangs, and then Carlisle took wrapped his arms around her waist and pushed her back against the cushions of the couch. Cradling her head with one of his hands, he bit into her neck. He drank slowly from her, closing his eyes as he relished her taste, and her physical reaction, as he heard moaning and arching her body closer to his.

Desire had driven the final point home for Carlisle Duvall. It would now be impossible for him to easily leave Los Angeles. His best efforts to avoid becoming entangled had failed, and he did not mind at all. He knew what he wanted, and he was not going to give it up so easily.

* * *

It was many hours later, just as dawn was about to peer over the horizon that Carlisle pulled up in front of his home in the hills surrounding the city of LA. He was understandably exhausted, and was looking forward to hitting the freezer. However, when he saw the grey Mercedes parked in front of the house and the vampire who was sitting inside, he realized that he would have to put off those plans for a little while longer.

When he saw Carlisle getting out of the car, Guillermo got out of the Mercedes and went over to meet him. "Guillermo," Carlisle said, "I was wondering when you would show up. Have you been waiting long?"

"Only about fifteen minutes. I thought that you would be here, it being so close to dawn and everything."

"Ah, yes, I was busy for much of the night."

Guillermo stared at him and said, "Yeah, you have been. I can smell her all over you."

Carlisle smiled slightly. "You always were perceptive when it came to that sort of thing. Please, come in. We owe each other an explanations."

The two male vampires went into the house, and immediately Guillermo heard a loud bark and Felix came bounding down the hallway, tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail whipping back and forth like a lethal weapon. Carlisle's smile only grew wider, as he received his pet's rapturous greetings. "Hey there, boy? I suppose I don't have to ask if you missed me. I hope you stayed out of the sausage treats." He saw that Guillermo was giving him an odd stare. "Yes, do you have something you want to say?"

Guillermo shook his head. "I still don't understand what it is that animals see in you."

Carlisle laughed as he scratched Felix behind the ears. "It beats spending my time alone." Felix seemed to have noticed Guillermo by this point. He tensed and whined, coming closer to Carlisle, as if seeking to protect him. "Don't worry, Felix. Guillermo won't hurt you. He prefers dead humans to living animals." He looked at Guillermo. "Don't mind him, he's still getting used to my social life."

"Yeah, no kidding." Said Guillermo.

The two went into the kitchen (Felix keeping a hawk eye on Guillermo, though he did seem a little more relaxed with him than he had been with Amanda). Carlisle went to the refrigerator, while Guillermo looked around him. "Interesting décor," he commented, "What's the theme? Mad scientist's lab?"

He was referring to the numerous medical instruments that were scattered around the room that seemed to have been incorporated into what one would normally expect to find in a kitchen. "Well, when I decided that I would be moving back here, I decided that I might as well make some use of the kitchen. You might be surprised how much a kitchen can be transformed into a medical lab, with the right touches. I wanted to be able to do something in my off hours. I can run experiments in my own time, and when there's nothing else to do, I can keep everything sterile. In theory, I could even operate on someone in here without too much trouble."

Guillermo shook his head, smiling slightly, as he accepted a glass of blood from Carlisle. "You were always were a bit eccentric."

Carlisle returned the smile. "Like fledgling, like sire, I suppose. You and you're brother both took after me. How is he? Have you heard from him? The last I heard he was in Las Vegas, following in the family tradition."

"Yep, Ramon has a pretty nice gig going in Vegas, seeing as all the hotels needs vamp blood on stock for the tourists." He became serious and said, "But, I think that we both know we're putting off the subject. So, I'll start. What was going with Josef and Mick the other day? They looked about ready to tear your throat out."

Carlisle told him all that he knew of the situation, and Guillermo let out a low whistle. "Whoa, you are a lucky to still be here, Carlisle, let alone still alive. Not many vamps can openly defy Josef to his face and live to tell the story."

Carlisle shrugged. "I know that, and I don't know how much longer I could keep him off, but to be quite honest, I will try as long as I can."

"Look," said Guillermo, after a moment, "if there is anything I could say on your behalf-"

"I appreciate the offer, Guillermo, but I can't allow it. You know that Josef doesn't trust me. If he found out that I was your sire, I don't want to think about what would happen to you or your standing in this community."

"Hey, Josef trusts me. And Mick, if the rumor serves right, was changed by your own sister, and he's like Josef's right hand man." Guillermo could still see the reluctance on Carlisle's face and he said, "I know that you're eager to protect me, Carlisle. But for heaven's sake, I do sometimes wonder if you're carrying this whole martyr thing a bit too far. Sooner or later, you're going to have to stand upon for who you are. I think you would find that more than a few would be willing to support you."

Carlisle was silent for a moment. "I cannot deny that you have a point. Ever since I've moved out here, I've found that I have become tired of running and hiding. There are things I want here; there are people I want here."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with that woman would it?"

"She does have a large amount to do with it, Guillermo. It's Amanda Greyson."

"The Cleaner, huh?" said Guillermo, very impressed, "She's quite a woman, Carlisle. You have scored yourself a good one."

Despite the fact that Carlisle was Guillermo's sire, he shot the younger vampire a killer glare. "Don't start getting any ideas, Guillermo."

"Hey, I'm only stating the obvious. Does she know?"

"Yes, she's the first one that I ever told about the truth about my past. She's been the only one I could count ever since I arrived in America."

"Ah, I see. Well, no wonder you want to stay here." Guillermo could tell by the expression on his sire's face that the subject should be closed for now. He let it drop, but was already resolved to bring it up again at some point in the future. In the meantime, he said, "So, time I repaid the favor for you. Got anything on those blood samples I gave you."

"Several things actually." Said Carlisle, as he got to his feet and walked over to an area that had once been a simple counter beside the sink, but was now the home of a microscope, a computer and other various equipment. Picking up a vial of the blood, as well as a printout of his findings, he brought them both back over to Guillermo, speaking as he went. "These blood samples are scattered through with at least two different compounds, all of them having some sort of garlic species as their base."

"Garlic?" questioned Guillermo with raised eyebrows. "That's just a myth."

"Not entirely. My research has shown that garlic doesn't repel vampires, but certain strains can, how shall I say, inhibit or hide certain aspects of our physiology. What can you tell me about this blood sample? I was able to tell it was a younger vampire, female, but what were the effects that she suffered?"

"That blood sample is from Karlie Dashwood." Carlisle looked at him, surprised, "Oh, I guess you met her." Guillermo explained about the break-in at Josef's mansion, and what he had been told of her condition when they had found her, unconscious and memory wiped.

Carlisle looked thoughtful as he digested the information, then he looked at his findings. "For some reason, this all seems incredibly familiar. Whoever did this, has very sophisticated medical and botany knowledge. I have to wonder if they could be aware of my research, as I'm the only one who has ever experimented with the connection as far as I am aware."

"That could explain why Josef might suspect you." Guillermo suggested.

Carlisle nodded, slightly distracted. For some reason, he suspected that the answer was a bit more complicated than that. "Whatever the case may be, it seems that this compound has the ability to both wipe the mind and cause unconsciousness. I fear that whoever is doing this will not stop here."

"You think you could reverse it? If you could, and Karlie could get a clearer idea of what happened that night, it could convince Josef that she was innocent."

"I might need a bit more time to review the genome structures. I've only begun the process of narrowing down the species that the garlic plants are, and I can't work on a reverse agent until I do. But, I don't want to just do that to clear my own name. I have a very uneasy feeling about this. I fear that there might be something bigger going on. You might want to tell Josef if he knows of any greenhouses in LA or the surrounding districts that have been doing a rather steady business in garlic seedlings. It might give them a clue as to what's happening."

"Will do. Thanks Carlisle, I knew that I could rely on you. And just so you know, Josef doesn't know that it's you I'm turning too for help."

"Thank you, Guillermo. I appreciate that. And I will think about what you said, about telling Josef."

Guillermo put an encouraging hand in his shoulder. "I would do that, Carlisle. And I would support you. I owe you my existence, after all, and my brother. I have to do what I can."

Carlisle smiled. "You owe me nothing for that, Guillermo, but I am glad that I sired you. I'll call when I have something."

As Guillermo left, Carlisle was reminded yet again of why he could not leave this place. Within the space of twelve hours, he had been reminded of what it was like to have a family. It was a feeling that he had not had in centuries, not since leaving France. But even then, Carlisle had never felt as though he had belonged. He cared deeply for his French family, but he had never exactly been able to fit in with the sumptuous lifestyle which they lived in. But with Amanda, and Guillermo it was so easy to care, to love and feel that he was valued in the same way.

He was reminded of what he had told Amanda a few hours before, about the risks of playing with fire. He was playing with fire. But for the sake of the woman he loved and the man he had sired, for the sake of finally having a real family that he could rely on, Carlisle was willing to run the risk of getting burned by the flames.

* * *

So, now we know why Carlisle is s eager to stay in LA. But will our old heroes allow him to stay? Stay tuned and see, there are still a lot of twists and turns to be made, so hold on for the ride. Please read and review

Next chapter: Investigations continue about the mysterous workings of violence in LA. Doubts are beginning to grow in the minds of Karlie and Beth, but they are unsure if they should bring them to their attention of their menfolk. However, unseen news will send the entire advanture into a new direction that no one could have predicted.


	14. Investigations

Investigations:

Despite the events which had been going on the past several days, Karlie was till trying to keep up some semblance of normality at Dashwood's, the internationally known clothing giant of which she was the founder and president. That meant that she had to go in at least a few days during the week. To be quite honest, though, it was something of a relief to be able to have an excuse to get away from the frenetic atmosphere at home.

Ever since the incident at the hospital, the investigation into Carlisle Duvall had taken on a hectic pace. They still had no conclusive proof, a fact which was driving both Mick and Josef rather crazy, because they could not proceed against him until they did. Though they did not doubt that he had some hand in the attack on Beth, it could just as well have been a group of miscreant vampires out looking for a little trouble. Frederic had to constantly remind them that with someone like Carlisle they had to be especially careful. He was still a member of the French bloodline and there was the possibility that retaliation from his family if they did him unjustified violence.

For Karlie, she might have joined into the investigation with as much vigor as anyone else. She was particularly protective of Beth, and would have gladly defied the entire malice of the bloodline to protect her from any danger. But, she could not shake her doubts, doubts that had not gone away since she had unwittingly met Carlisle at the hospital. She simply could not think that the vampire who had so given Beth such expert care could be the monster he was painted to be. She had kept quiet about her doubts, though, because she had suspicions that neither Josef nor Mick would listen to her. Plus, she wasn't sure that anyone else shared her doubts. Until she was paid a visit by Beth. Beth pretty much had a free access pass to Dashwood's, a privilege that many others would have envied exceedingly. She could come in at any hour that Karlie was there, to talk about anything and know that she would be listened too. And tonight, she had something very specific to talk about.

"So, Beth," said Karlie, when the initial greetings had been exchanged, "what brings you here at this hour?"

"I'll come straight to the point," said Beth, a serious expression on her face, "I don't think that Mick and Josef are going the right way with this."

Karlie raised her eyebrows, looking at Beth intently, "In what way?"

"I just don't think that they're considering all the options. They're automatically assuming that just because Carlisle Duval is here in LA, that he is responsible for everything that is going on."

"And you don't?"

'No, I can't. I know that sounds weird. And when I first heard that someone who was related to Coraline was behind all of this, I thought that the same thing about him that Mick and Josef do. But I can't get the way he was at the hospital out of my head. He was so gentle, so caring; it just doesn't seem possible that he could be behind all of this violence."

Karlie shook her head, "I happen to agree with you, Beth. Despite all that I have been told, Carlisle just didn't seem like the type. He's also firmly denied his innocence, and Josef has a way of frightening the truth out of people, even the most reluctant."

Beth smiled a little, "It is a kind of a relief to hear you agreeing with me. I thought that you shared the opinion of Mick, that Carlisle is an exact copy of his sister, only maybe worse. I don't know if I can agree with that. At the same time, how can two such totally different personalities exist in the same man? I mean, according to all that I have heard, Carlisle is supposed to have betrayed his sire and run out on his family when they needed him most."

Karlie leaned back in her seat and thought for a moment. "You remember Pride and Prejudice?" She asked, suddenly.

"Of course, I have." Said Beth, as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Well, I always thought it rather strange, especially after reading it so many times, that Elizabeth is so apt to believe every bad report of Darcy, despite all of the evidence which supported him as a good man."

"It was because he slighted her at their first dance. That first impression led to more trouble, when she just interpreted everything he did in a negative light and then she heard that story from Mr. Wickham."

"And she only believed the truth after getting it from Darcy himself in that letter. I cannot help but wonder if perhaps this is a related situation, with some alterations of time and place, of course. Josef has always told me that bad blood existed between him and the French bloodline, and even Frederic himself has said that he prefers not to deal with them. What if that first impression gave them a prepotency to believe the worst of the Duvalls from the first, even those who may not deserve it?"

Beth was beginning to understand. "And if that rumor happened to paint one of them in the worst light possible, they would be inclined to believe that more than a good report. And let's face it, from what I've heard of Coraline's family, none of them are really saints. So, maybe it is no wonder that they would believe rumors like that."

"And you have to remember that as long as we vampires can live, there is a good chance for such rumors to grow rather than diminish over the years. I am beginning to think that this is perhaps one of those times."

"Karlie, do you want Carlisle to be innocent?"

"Yes, Beth, I think that I want too. I've only met him once, but if he had been anyone else, I think he was someone that I could really have admired. What about you?"

"I do, too. But if he is innocent, you'd think he would have come forward by now."

"I don't have an answer to that question, Beth. Carlisle is a mystery in more ways than one it would appear."

Beth was silent for several seconds, before she suddenly smiled. "Karlie, seeing as how we both want the same thing, which is so different from what the men in our lives want, I think it's time we started a little investigation of our own."

Karlie saw the glint in Beth's eyes and returned the smile, "Tell me, what did you have in mind?"

"If Carlisle has spent so much time in the states, I'm guessing that he's been around. And if he is that much of a do-gooder, than he must have left at least a few stories behind him. I'm a journalist; I can find those stories, even if he wanted to keep them hidden. And Hearst College has one of the best archives in the country."

Karlie was catching onto Beth's spirit. "I see what you mean. I might be able to dig up a few vamp records from across the country, maybe see if he has any connections in the area. If he does, we can start putting the pieces together, if they're willing to talk. Though I think that I know the answer, what would the end result of all this investigation be?"

"In keeping with what you said first impressions, it suddenly strikes me that there isn't evidence that directly condemns Carlisle as the betrayer of his sire. Even Josef has said repeatedly that it's a crime he was never directly accused of. If we could find something that proves the contrary, maybe it could convince Mick and Josef to look at things differently. I think that perhaps you've noticed, they're becoming a little obsessed."

Karlie nodded, "I know. I love Josef dearly, but he can sometimes be a bit too paranoid for his own good. I've seen what happens when he gets this protective, and it's not pretty. To be quite honest, I'm glad that his sire is here. If it weren't for Frederic, I would be very worried right now. But for the meantime, I think we should keep this between ourselves."

Beth grinned. "Girl power?"

Karlie returned the smile. "Exactly, one of the few modern mindsets which I actually agree with."

Had Mick or Josef even been aware of the fact that a counter investigation was being planned and by their ladies no less, than they might have had some discussion. As it was, they didn't even suspect it, not yet anyway. They were not yet aware that Beth and Karlie were not in the same league with them anymore in their outright condemnation of Carlisle.

And none of them knew either that they in fact had their supposed enemy to thank for giving them their first real lead in the case. Guillermo had told them about the garlic base in the compound which had first knocked out Karlie. Following up on his suggestion to look into deliveries of the plant into the LA area, they had their hacker masterminds work their magic and sure enough, within twelve hours, both Ryder and Logan had trailed deliveries of garlic plants from various greenhouses in the area, all of them to the same address, a warehouse on the south side of town.

"919 Figaroura." Said Mick, when Josef told him and Frederic the address. "That sounds familiar. It was the same warehouse that Coraline used to try and recreate the cure."

"Then I suppose that it would make sense that Carlisle would hole up there with his experiments." Said Josef.

"I'd say then that a little visit would be in order." Said Fredric. Both Mick and Josef looked at him, "What? I don't look like the kind who would condone breaking and entering."

Mick cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "I just thought that maybe you would think that sort of thing would be too immature for someone of your age."

Frederic smirked. "I may be 627 years of age, Mick, but I think that I can keep up with you. I could tell that you two were going to go there anyway, so I have to come along to make sure that you two younglings stay out of trouble. Besides, Carlisle isn't aware that I'm here. I think that it might be best if I showed myself as being on your side. "

"You think that will make any sort of difference?" asked Josef, skeptically, "He didn't seem very frightened of me when Mick and I confronted him."

"Carlisle might be no better at some members of his family to listen to reason, but that does not mean he is a fool. We may not be on the best of terms, but the Duvalls know that I am far older than they are, and that I have a great deal of influence. They know that they cannot do anything to directly insult me. It might be too much to hope for, but perhaps if Carlisle knows that I'm here and that I mean business, he will be more willing to simply sneak off and leave this folly before it becomes deadly for him."

"You really think that will work?" said Mick, who was about as skeptical as Josef, having witnessed Carlisle's stubbornness for himself.

"As I said, it's a lot to hope for. But if there is anything that being this old has told me, it's that it pays to sometimes hope for the impossible. Now, the night is wearing. I think that it's time we paid Carlisle a visit and see just what it is he is up to."


	15. Night Raid

Night Raid:

Josef, Mick, and Frederic arrived at 919 Figaroura an hour later. It was in the dead of night, and the moon had been covered by thick clouds. Had it not been for their sharper senses, it would have been difficult for them to hear or see anything in the darkness around them. Not that there was much to be seen or heard at the moment. The warehouse appeared to be deserted; there was no one about. But, as Mick had learned so many times in his years as private investigator, that did not necessarily mean that they were alone. They did not know if Carlisle was working alone, or if he had other vamps helping him to do his dirty work. They all knew that they needed to use caution.

"So, what's the game plan?" asked Josef, as the three of them got out of the car.

"I think that we need to get inside," said Mick, "We need to see what's going on inside that warehouse. I remember a way in that won't attract too much attention, I hope."

"That will be the wisest course of action." Said Frederic, "Only remember you two that whatever you might see, try to control yourselves. This isn't the time to confront Carlisle, whatever he might have done. When we come against Carlisle, I would rather that it was on our own terms, and not with him having the territorial advantage."

"Your vote of confidence in our self-control is overwhelming." Muttered Josef "You make us sound like we're newly-turned fledglings."

"Sorry, Josef. I'm only trying to tell you before you do something that you'll regret."

"Fine, whatever. Let's get this over with. Mick, you're the pathfinder on this expedition, how do we get into this place."

They approached the building, taking care to keep out of sight from any unseen eyes which they might not be aware of. None of them had forgotten that Carlisle had somehow been able to mask his presence from their vampire senses. Perhaps he wouldn't think it necessary if he was on his own turf, but they couldn't rule out the possibility.

They had just crossed the street and were only a few feet from the wall, when the headlights of a car suddenly appeared from nowhere. They barely had time to duck out of sight, before a black SUV appeared from around the corner and disappeared a second later. They listened and heard that it came to a stop in what they assumed to be where the main entrance of the warehouse was.

"I don't think that we're as alone as we would like to be." commented Josef.

"At the same time, it might give us a lead into what is going on here." Said Mick, "Think one of us should follow it, Frederic?"

Josef thought it was rather amusing that Mick was deferring to Frederic's judgment after only having known him for a few days. He didn't resent the fact; he knew that he had been doing the same thing in more subtle ways ever since Frederic had come back.

"It might give us a lead that we wouldn't have otherwise." Said Frederic, "But whoever spied on them would have to be cautious."

"I'll go." Said Josef, "Mick, being the youngster in this case, needs your guidance more than me."

Frederic raised his eyebrows, but said nothing, while Mick said, "I look forward to that day when that ego of yours gets you into trouble."

"Don't be bitter, Mick. I can't help it that I'm older and wiser than you are."

"Would you two stop arguing?" said Frederic, "Are you always like this? You're like two brothers, constantly bickering. Josef, if you want to go, than you had better hurry. But regardless of what happens, I don't want you lingering. Back here in fifteen minutes, not a second later." His eye flashed briefly, as he said, in a concerned undertone, "Be careful, Josef."

Josef clearly understood his sire's concern, and for one, he did not try and make a joke out of it. "I will be Frederic."

Mick caught this little exchange, and it would have been difficult to miss the fact that even after four hundred years, Frederic and Josef still had a very close bond. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He had never had a chance to experience that with Coraline.

It was a simple matter for the two vampires to leap up onto the roof and pry open the window. Mick could not help but remember what had happened the last time that he had come here. Over two years ago, he had been tracking his ex-wife when it had become clear that Coraline had got her hands on some type of cure for vampirism. He had been led to this same warehouse, where he had found Coraline, and her less then rational brother, Lance. Lance had given him a pretty good beating. He could only hope that Carlisle wouldn't be giving him the same this time. Of course, this time, he wasn't going in alone.

It was no surprise that Mick should have found himself traveling back in his memory to that event. Because the warehouse did not seem to have changed at all in the two years since he had last been here. The place was set much like a lab, with plants growing off to one side under hot lamps, and microscopes, computers and other equipment off on the other. The two men took a moment to confirm that there ws no one around, then leaped down quietly into the room.

"Well, it seems that whoever is doing that research for Guillermo was on the right track," said Mick, after a few minutes of searching, "I think these are garlic plants. I did a little research on the more common kinds and I think I see one of them."

"Even if you didn't, you would be able to go by the smell alone," said Frederic, coming up to him, "though from the looks of these plants there seems to be more than one species, perhaps three or four."

"In that case, I'm going to be taking some samples of these." Said Mick, "I don't think that he'll mind. Karlie still hasn't remembered anything from the attack, and that might be what helps us to bring some sort of accusation against Carlisle. If the effects could be reversed, having some of the plant around might be a help. I'll give them to Guillermo so that he can pass them along to whoever his contact is."

Frederic nodded. He was impressed by Mick's skills. Clearly, Josef's praise of him as a private investigator (which Josef had never told Mick, and which Frederic wouldn't pass along) had not been exaggerated. "I do wish that Guillermo could tell us who that contact was. Already he's been a help to the community by leading us here."

"It might be a human that he doesn't want to let to far into the community's secrets. We can ask him about it later, because quite frankly I'm curious too. But, right now, let's see what else we can find."

"I found something that might be of interest over here." Said Frederic, leading Mick over to the other side of the room. "I was looking through these files of information, there isn't much of interest, and however, I did find this very interesting."

He pushed a manila envelope towards Mick, who opened it. His face showed first surprise, and then confusion. "This is a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses," he looked up at Frederic, comprehension beginning to dawn on his face, "and passwords to Josef's security systems."

Frederic nodded. "You said that they never touched anything else during the break-in. my guess was that they were after something that they considered to be far more valuable."

"They've been spying on us." Said Mick, horrified, "Listening in our e-mails and phone calls. That's how Carlisle knew where to attack Beth. I heard them talking from the other room when they planned their trip, Beth and Karlie talked all about where they were going to shop, the stores they were going to his, everything."

"He is clever, far cleverer than I gave him credit for." Said Frederic.

"If they've been monitoring us ever since the break-in than they must know that we're trying to find them. And if he gets wind that we found this place, it might provoke him into doing something."

"And since we have no idea what that plan is, I think that we need to be extra careful about we say from now on." Said Frederic, "Josef will have to change out everything immediately. I don't want him having the ability to stay one step ahead of us."

At that very moment, Mick's phone buzzed. He took it out and looked at it doubtfully. "Karlie?" he said, "What does she want?" He looked at Frederic, "You think I should answer?"

Frederic shook his head. "If Carlisle has both of your numbers, he'll be able to listen in on the call, perhaps even trace it. I don't want that just yet. Best ignore it for right now, whatever the problem is, we can take care of it once we're all in the same room."

Mick might have left it at that, as Frederic suggested. But Karlie was not taking the hint. When the phone went off for the forth time in ten minutes, Frederic changed his mind and told Mick that perhaps he had best answer it, but try to keep it short. Mick finally answered, "Karlie, what-"

He didn't get any further. Karlie's panicked voice cut him off. "Mick, where's Josef? Is he with you? Is he all right?"

Mick, for a moment, was too stunned to answer. He had heard that same note of panic in Josef's voice when this whole thing had started. "What do you mean?"

"Is he with you?' Karlie's voice was insistent, and Mick found that he couldn't avoid the question.

"No, he's not. We had to split up."

"Mick, you have to find him. He's in danger."

Frederic, who had been listening to the conversation, said, "How could she know that Josef was in danger?" He asked.

Mick looked at him. Clearly he didn't know about the bond which existed between Josef and Karlie. And after what had happened with Karlie, he was inclined to believe that it might be best to heed Karlie's warning. "Don't worry, Karlie. We'll find him, and make sure that he's all right. I promise you." He hung up and turned to Frederic. "It's a long story, Frederic. But we should listen to her. I think we need to try and find Josef."

Frederic's eyes showed worry. He had seen that it would take a lot to upset Karlie and Mick. Clearly if they believed that something was wrong, than it was not simple paranoia.

Frederic and Mick hurried from the room, through the abandoned spaces of the rest of the warehouse, and as they got closer to the front of the warehouse, their vampire sense began to pick up troubling signs. The smell of more vampires in the warehouse and the sounds of a struggle began to become clear to them. Mick saw Frederic tensing out of the corner of his eye, and he increased his speed.

The sight that greeted them when they got to the massive front doors of the warehouse was the worst that there could have been. They briefly saw the headlights and the engine of the black SUV they had seen earlier as it pulled away from the warehouse. Left behind were four other vampires, three of them closing in on Josef, and obviously giving him a challenge. Josef was a skilled fighter (even if he claimed that he was a lover rather than a fighter), but not even he could hold his own against three vampires without back-up. He was clearly struggling with his opponents, and he didn't look like he would be able to last much longer.

When Frederic saw this, his vampire broke loose even faster than Mick's. Letting loose an enraged roar, he leapt forward and took down two of the vampires before the even knew what had hit them. That gave Josef a little breathing space. Frederic seemed like he was perfectly willing to go through and murder the two vampires who had obviously been trying to murder his son. But then he paused, he inhaled, and then he slowly turned to look at the forth vampire, who had been standing at the back, watching everything. When the other vampire saw Frederic's face, a look of recognition and surprise flashed in his deep green eyes. "You." Was all he said.

Frederic, too, seemed surprised to see him. But that surprise was quickly buried in the rising tide of his anger. He let loose a growl and flew at the other vampire, who managed to side-step Frederic, but just barely. The two exchanged were soon exchanging blows and punches. It seemed as if there was a centuries old quarrel between them that no amount of years would be able to put to rest. Mick really didn't have any idea what was going on, but for a few seconds he was so absorbed in watching the two of them go at it, that he didn't notice a threat from the shadows.

He had thought that Josef was all right, but his back was to him. But suddenly, the vampire which Frederic was fighting, called out something in a language that sounded vaguely like French. Frederic's eyes flashed with horror, and he turned and shouted, Josef!"

Mick turned like lightening, only to see another blond-haired vampire grab Josef from behind. Mick hadn't smelled him, and neither had Josef, which explained how he had been able to sneak up on them so easily. Before Mick or Josef could react, the vampire had driven a needle into Josef's neck. Josef let loose a strangled gasp. His eyes clouded over and he dropped to the ground, unconscious. Mick's eyes went silver and his fangs distended. He let loose a growl and leapt for the vampire, but he managed to elude him and ran off. Mick went after him, but before he could get him, he had gotten into a car and drove off. Mick briefly saw in the light of the two flashlights that the vampire who had been fighting with Frederic was in the passenger seat beside him. For a split second, the two of them locked eyes and Mick though he saw a flash of dark hatred before the car roared out of sight.

Mick let out a frustrated growl, and then ran back to the warehouse. "They got away." He said, as he came back to where Frederic was kneeling beside Josef, "What about the other vampires who you took out?"

Frederic hesitated, "I don't think they'll be of much use to us." Mick was about to ask what Fredric was talking about, when he caught the scent of vampire blood. He looked over and saw that the two vampires which Frederic had taken out at the beginning of the fight. They were both beheaded. He looked at Frederic, exasperated, "I'm sorry, I lost my head. I cannot vouch for my temper when it's aroused like this."

"Yeah, well I can see that Josef got that from you." He didn't like the fact that they had no one who could give them a lead in the case, but there was nothing he could do about it now. "I recognize this; this is what Karlie looked like when I found her after the break in."

"Then chances are his memory will be wiped, too?" said Frederic.

"I'm afraid so. But, if Carlisle is so willing to try and cover up whatever is going on here, than it must be that we're on the right track."

Frederic's eyes were worried. "I'm afraid our situation has become far more complicated, Mick. We don't just have Carlisle to deal with anymore. That vampire I as fighting, that was another member of the Duvall line, Henri Duvall."

* * *

So, our heroes have managed to get one step closer to the villain, for they now know that Henri is in on it? But Henri seems to be staying one step ahead of them despite their best efforts. And what did Josef see, or who? All those answers are coming up. There is still a lot more to come. For now, though, drop a review.

Next chapter: A series of explanations comes to light. A secret from France is about to be revealed to our heroes, one which could change their views of what is happening. But what will be enough to change their opinions of the people involved? In the meantime, Henri decides that it's time to put the next phase of his plan into action.


	16. Explanations

Explanations:

Mick and Frederic brought Josef back to the mansion, and put him into the freezer. Much like Karlie had been, there was no visible sign of outward injury; Josef was merely unconscious. Until he came too, neither of them would be able to know if he had seen anything, or if his memory had been wiped like Karlie's.

Karlie and Beth arrived about thirty minutes after they had gotten back. Karlie had been near sick with worry, and it had only been a little alleviated when she heard about his current condition. she had not been able to rest until she saw him herself. Frederic was still mystified as to how Karlie had even known that Josef was in danger.

Even when she was certain that Josef would be safe, she refused to leave his side, saying that she wanted to be there when he awoke. After a few hours of watching Josef's sleeping form through the frost-painted glass, Frederic joined her. "The others want to know how he is doing." He said, though it was really only an excuse to check up on Josef himself.

"He'll be fine." Said Karlie, "If what they put into him is anything like they gave me than Josef should be waking up in about twelve hours."

"But if it was also like what happened with you than it is very likely that he won't remember anything of value. Right now, though, I just want to be sure that he will be all right." He raised his glance to hers and said, "If you hadn't had some sort of premonition than I don't want to think of what the consequences might have been."

Karlie smiled a little. "It was nothing, really. No more than what it normally is, Josef and I being so bonded to each other as we are."

"What do you mean?" asked Frederic, confused.

"Josef hasn't told you?" she said, looking a little surprised.

"No, and I must say that it has surprised me greatly. You two are not like any couple I have ever observed in all my years."

Karlie actually managed a small smile. "I suppose that we should have told you before, but it's so much a part of who we are that we hardly ever think about it. It happened almost as soon as we first set eyes on each other, over fifty years ago. Josef and I are what is known as bond mates." Frederic looked a little confused, an indication that despite his long years, he had never heard of such a thing existing between vampires. "They are incredibly rare, even for vampires, so I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of them. Josef and I know of only two other vampires who are bonded the way we are. We're always aware of where the other is, what they're doing, what they're feeling. When I was staked, Josef told me that he could actually sense the pain I was in. when he was attacked, I had a sixth sense in the back of my mind that warned something wasn't right."

"And this started as soon as you two met?"

"Well, it did pretty strongly on his side. While I was still human I only had a vague idea. When I became a vampire, it was almost like the bond became even more ingrained. It's gotten stronger over time, and it doesn't diminish like a normal fledgling/sire bond does. Of course, sometimes, it can be something of a bother. You can see that Josef and I are near eaten up with worry when something happens to the other and we can't prevent it. It's why we so seldom are out of each other's company."

Frederic shook his head. "Remarkable, you are actually telling me that my son fell in love at first sight. That is something I never would have believed even with him. Nonetheless, I can see that it has served both of you well." Till this point, Frederic had never given to Karlie a physical sign of affection, though he had made his admiration of her clear enough. Now, he reached out his hands, and held one of hers in both. "As I think I told you, before, Karlie, Josef has had several women to his name. Some of them I liked more than others. However, you are the first and I believe the only one that I ever thought of as being worthy of him. And you are the only one that I have ever wanted to call my daughter."

Karlie was truly touched by the gesture. Like Josef, Frederic did not seem like one to give such deep personal comments readily. She herself had no more human family left, save for a cousin in New York that she had been able to reestablish contact with a few years ago. It was an honor to know that Frederic now considered her one of his own.

****  
Just like with Karlie, it took Josef twelve hours to sleep off the drug which had been injected into his system. When he awoke, like Karlie he could not remember anything, only fleeting images and sounds which were not of use to them. There were no complications on the part of Josef's health to speak of, besides the fact that he was even more eaten up with frustration.

"He's staying one or two steps ahead of us," he growled, "and it seems like there's nothing we can do."

"I have a feeling that's going to last for long." Said Mick, "He knows that we're on his trail now, he won't wait long to make another move."

"And we now have more to worry about." said Frederic. "Remember Mick that I told you Henri Duvall was here."

"Henri Duvall?" said Josef, "I thought you said that he was still in France?"

"That is what I thought as well, it's been in all the reports that I have been receiving from Paris. But he's here now, and I for one would like to find out why the Duvall line has been deceiving us all this time."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Karlie, "Call them up and demand an explanation."

"Yes, actually, that is what I'm going to do." said Frederic, with utter seriousness.

"And how can you be sure that they'll answer you?" she asked.

"Hopefully, the force of age will have something to do with it. Believe me, it's not a task that I relish. But I have to do it. I know how to contact the head of the Duvall family directly. And I want the rest of you to listen to what is being said. But please, don't say anything, regardless of what passes. If Alexandre even suspects for a moment that there are outside parties involved, we won't get anything out of him."

The others nodded their assent that they would be quiet. Frederic took out his cell phone, and it seemed that even while he was dialing the number he was grimacing. They waited for several rings, and for a moment, they wondered if Frederic's call would even be answered. If Frederic didn't even like the thought of calling the head of the Duvall line, there was a good chance that Alexandre wouldn't be so keen to talk with him.

Therefore, there was a little surprise, when the call was answered, and a voice responded from the speaker, "What do you want, Frederic Braun?" The voice held a faint echo of the smoothness that had marked the voices of Lance and Coraline, but this voice was firmer in tone, seeking not so much to seduce as to control, harshly if need be.

Frederic was completely unfazed by the brusque greeting. He had expected no less, and to speak the truth, his own tone was little better when he answered Alexandre's question. "I want information about one of your siblings, Alexandre."

"Really? I am not in the habit of dealing out such personal information to someone like you."

"I am not asking for myself, Alexandre. This involves everyone in the entire community. And if you don't give me the information that I ask for, than I will find it out some other way. I have ways, you know. So, we can go about this the easy way and go our separate ways without offence on either side, or we can play cat and mouse and one of us will run the risk of insult to the other. Do you really want to risk upsetting me?" Frederic's voice had acquired a warning tone, almost menacing. He was exerting his authority as elder beyond Alexandre, which was potent even over the phone. And Alexandre, who was no fool, knew that he had to play, for now, by Frederic's rules.

"What do you want to know?"

"Where is Henri?"

A silence hung in the air, palpable and tense. It was already clear what the answer would be. "Why would you want to know about that?"

"Because I know that you have been lying to me, Alexandre, and half of the other Elders in Europe. Henri is not really in your custody in France, is he? He has escaped."

Another tense silence, then Alexandre responded, his voice tight and angry. "Perhaps, what does it matter? It is a family matter, and it concerns no one else."

"Henri is insane. Everyone in the community knows that. You should have told the truth from the start about what was happening. Now Henri is out and wreaking havoc. Why did you feel a need to conceal this from the rest of us?"

"A matter of family pride, I suppose." Said Alexandre, as if the answer should have been obvious, "If word had gotten out that Henri was out, it would cast a bad light on the rest of the family. It would make it seem like we cannot control our biggest problem. You understand, I am sure."

Frederic snarled, and it was clear that he was swiftly losing his temper. "For the sake of you family reputation, one of my sons was nearly killed. I will not allow this to continue, Alexandre. Henri has made himself a threat, and I will take care of him if you cannot."

"I would advise you to stay out of it. This is not your affair, and we will take care of it. Now that I know where he is, I can send one of us to take care of him. Goodbye, Frederic, so good hearing from you again."

The line went abruptly dead. "Well, he was certainly helpful." Said Beth, after a moment.

"I think that I'm beginning to see a pattern in the Duvall family." Said Mick.

"They're all arrogant, selfish bastards," said Josef, "and that is being generous, I think."

Frederic had not moved or said a word since the line went dead. In fact, he appeared to be tensing up, and the anger which the other vampires were sensing from him suddenly began to grow stronger. "Frederic?" said Josef, "are you all right?"

Frederic didn't answer directly, but instead crushed the cell phone in his hand, without seeming to be aware of it. His eyes flashed silver and a growl began to gather in his chest. Throwing away the cell phone, he muttered, "Excuse me for a moment."

He hurried into from the room. A second later, everyone heard the bone-chilling roar which sounded like it had issued from an enraged lion. This was followed by a crashing sound, which caused everyone to wince visibly. Even Josef looked more than a little disturbed.

Frederic came back into the room a few minutes later, distinctly calmer though still obviously angry. "Forgive me," he said, "the Duvalls tend to have this effect on me. You can't reason with them at all." He looked at Josef, "I'll pay you back for the entertainment system, Josef."

Josef, for once, did not make a snide comment. It took something major to upset his sire this much. To be quite honest, he was himself feeling pretty angry with the Duvall line. They certainly weren't giving him much reason to love them.

"So, want do we do now?" said Beth, "I hope that you're not going to stay out of it like they said you should."

Frederic was pleased to hear that from Beth. As the only human in the group and the one who had once suffered at the hands of one of the line, it would have been perfectly understandable if she had wanted no more part in this. Her show of support meant that she was willing to get her hands dirty to protect those that she held dear.

"No, Beth. I have no intention of waiting around for the Duvalls to make the first move. We have to deal with this threat here and now before it gets even more out of hand. I think it's time that we began to make a move against these brothers."

At this, Karlie spoke up. "Brothers? Surely you can't think that both brothers would be in on this."

"Carlisle is no doubt the brains behind the operations, but I have no doubt that Henri is throwing in a few ideas of his own." Said Frederic.

Karlie's brows furrowed. "Do you really think that we should jump to conclusions like this? I mean, we still don't know about the extent of Carlisle's involvement in this whole thing. We might be justified in going against Henri, especially if he's as dangerous as you say. But Carlisle we still don't know about."

"Karlie, it can hardly be a coincidence that the two of them are in LA at the exact same time." said Josef.

"You can't be telling me that you're defending him," said Mick, "not after what he did to Beth. You saw it yourself."

Karlie was about to retort that she hadn't actually seen anything of the kind when Frederic stopped her. "Nonetheless, you might have a point, Karlie. We could find no sign of Carlisle's presence at the lab; however, we can proceed against Henri. I wouldn't be surprised if Carlisle is using his brother as a mask to hide his true intent. If we can flush out Henri, then we can grab Carlisle."

"I think we'll all need to be on our guard over the next few days." Said Mick, 'If we put a move on the warehouse, no doubt Carlisle and Henri will be planning some sort of move. I'm glad that Beth's on break for the next week. That means it will be easier to keep on eye on you."

"I don't have any intention of hiding." Said Beth, fiercely.

"I wasn't suggesting that you hide." Said Mick, "But, whatever these guys have planned, they obviously have you at the center of it. They'll want revenge for Coraline, along with anything else that they want."

"That doesn't surprise me. Coraline is quite the petted darling of the Duvall, which is part of the reason why she is so spoiled. Several of her brothers are quite protective of her; it wouldn't surprise me that they would want to revenge what they would consider a slight to their sister."

"Well, they'll have to live with it." said Mick, putting an arm around Beth, "all I'm saying Beth, is that it might be good for you to not be alone for awhile."

"You can spend time with me, if you want." Said Karlie, "we can find something to do that might take your mind off this situation. It will make it seem less like a prison."

Beth caught the hidden meaning in Karlie's statement, and it suddenly made being baby sat a whole lot more appealing. Being on their own together, without any interference, would give them an excuse to continue their own investigation with Carlisle. "Well, I guess I could handle that."

It was a few more hours when Mick and Beth were getting ready to leave, when Karlie managed to catch Beth alone for a few minutes, ostensibly to ask if there was anything that she wanted to do during the time when she was watching over her. But when they were alone, she said, "What I said earlier about Carlisle, I wasn't coming to his defense so much as trying to put their minds onto a different path. But it obviously isn't working."

"I agree with you." said Beth, "I'm still not convinced that Carlisle is behind this."

"I was talking with Frederic earlier about this whole thing, and I managed to learn something about Henri. Frederic said that even if he was insane, he was still clever and that he has tried to escape from his captivity several times. And I can't help but think that if the Duvalls are so anxious to keep him under lock and key that they might not think him the greater threat."

"Perhaps, in that case, if Carlisle is their prime suspect, that might mean that this could be exactly where Henri wants them." she shook her head, "This whole prejudice thing is getting out of hand. We need to tell them our suspicions and soon."

"My thoughts exactly. And that's what we'll be doing tomorrow when you come over. 5:00 PM, sharp. Be there, or I'll start without you."

Beth grinned. "Don't worry, I'll be there."


	17. ANNOUNCEMENT OF UPCOMING STORIES

Okay, I know that this is not a regular update for Family Feud, and don't worry, I am working on it. But, I wanted to ask a question of all my faithful readers out there in the Moonlight community. I have posted two stories up here before and that seemed to go pretty well. I think that I could do it again, since I have a few ideas which I am really excited about exploring. However, I would like to know which one you would all like to read. So, please read the descriptions below and drop my a message or review of what you think. I really appeareacite the input so let me know. (WARNING: there may be some spoilers for Family Feud in these postings. Read at your own risk).

The Sins of the Father: This story will occur about one year after Family Feud ends. Beth is beginning to feel a need to be turned. Her life has taken a drastic turn ever since the sudden death of her mother in a car accident on the night she graduated. With no close family to tie her into her human life, she wants to start a new life with Mick; she wants him to turn her. Mick is reluctant to do, knowing that he would besevering what he thinks is his last link to what is keeping him feeling human. However, those problems become secondary when a dire new threat moves into the Los Angeles area.

Scott Kenderick, a vampire hunter from a long line of vampire hunter has a debt against both Josef and Karlie, and now he wants revenge. However, Kenderick is no ordinary hunter. He feels that he must make some sort of expiation for the letting of blood, which he says he detests. Over the years, he has been attempting to find cures for deadly human diseases by experimenting upon the vampires that he hunts. However, it is merely an act that hides a twisted and cruel mind. Strange that his son, Cory Reeves (his mother took back her maiden name when she divorced Scott when Cory was only four years old), should have such a reluctance to take up the family business. Scott has always treated his son with deep affection, and has been prepping him to take over what he calls the family calling. But Cory, when he beging to learn the secrets of what his father has done, as well as the vampires who are nothing more than animals to his father, he begins to wonder if there is more to the story.

Things approach a height when Josef must sacrifice himself to Kenderick in order to save Karlie. Near death, Josef finds that he has to put his fate in only one person, the most surprising of all. And when tragedy strikes during the final confrontation, Mick must make the most inportant and dire descion of his life, one that will impact him for eternity.

Can there really be more to an enemy than meets the eye? Can the sins of the father really be redeemed by the son? (Might be signigificantly darker than previous stories, and will probably include some scenes of torture, of the non-graphic variety)

Viva Las Vegas: Something I have been wanting to do for awhile, the "gang from LA goes to some other city and hangs out with new vampires and helps them to solve a crisis" storyline. You'd think that the rest of the vampires in the US would be lost without our beloved characters from the show. Anyway, I have always been surprised that no one ever has written a story about vampires in Las Vegas, I mean, come on, it's so obvious. However, I must warn people that if they are looking for sleazy, stripper scenes, look elsewhere. I have no liking of that sort of thing, and I think that Josef and Mick would be too classy to stoop to such specatcle. This is more about the classy side of Vegas. There will also be a lot of new OC's, which I have also wanted to do. This is a pretty long introduction and I have not said anything about the plot. Well, read below.

Beth has been a vampire for one year. Now out of the fledging stage, Josef and Karlie want to make sure that she doesn't become isolated under Mick's tutelage. So, a turning day present sends that gang to the city of sin. There they come in contact with some vampires who are old friends of Josef and Karlie, as well as a few other new faces. One of them is Laura Hartfield, the most unlike a female vampire that can be imagined. Quiet and a little shy, she nonetheless makes friends easily with Karlie and Beth. Laura a performer with Cirque de Soliel's "O" at the Bellagio, is beginning to find herself entangled with affairs of the heart. Starting to fall for one of her fellow performers, a man named Robert Heldon, she is unsure how to tell him the truth about what she is. In and around the love story of a vampiress and a human, the rest of the gang are enjoying themselves exploring the sights and sounds of Vegas.

However, all is not going to be run and games on this trip. Real sin soon starts to stalk our heroes when the Elder of the city suddenly ends up mysteriously murdered. There are multiple suspects, that all have something to gain by the murder, and despite their better judgement, Mick, Beth, Josef and Karlie wind up pulled into the invesitgation. But the body count rises, and it seems that there is a massive cover-up taking place, and whoever murdered the Elder is going to stop at nothing to keep his, her, or their identity a secret.

The stakes have never been higher. But this is Vegas; bet high, and don't look back.

So, those are some of the stories I have floating in my head right now. The thing is, Sins of the Father would come next after Family Feud, but I have Viva Las Vegas a bit better planned. My main concern is that there be no confusion if I go slightly out of order. What do you think? Again, let me know. It's your imput that will help me make my choice. Thanks so much for taking a little time to read this. The next real chapter of Family Feud should be up soon.


	18. The TIme to Act

The Time to Act:

enri Duvall was in a foul mood. He had been ever since his presence had been exposed by the night raid upon his warehouse a few days earlier. Now, he was meeting with Tina Ferris to discuss the turn of events which had interrupted their previous meeting. And his temper clearly had not improved.

Once more their meeting place was on the boardwalk, and once more, Tina felt a thrill of fear race through her when she met Henri's smoldering, half-mad green eyes. She tried to steady herself, but it was not easy.

"You have not been found out, have you?" barked Henri, without any preamble.

"Not as far as I know. If Josef had remembered me meeting with you, I'm sure that he would have come after me by now."

Henri huffed. "Well, that is something good, at least." Tina allowed herself a moment of relief. At least he was not going to blame her for anything. "Unfortunately, this series of circumstances has left us with a new problem, one I wanted to acquaint you with so that you can make any plans you have too."

"All right. What is it?"

"After you left the warehouse in such a hurry, Mick St. John showed up, along with another vampire that I have known by sight and reputation from the past. His name is Frederic Braun."

"I have never heard of him."

"I would not expect you too. He stays in Germany. He is Elder of that entire section of Europe. He wields considerable influence and power. Even my family is cautious of him."

"Than why is he here?"

Henri scoffed. "He is here for his fledgling's protection. Even after four hundred years, Josef cannot look after himself without his sire looking over his shoulder."

Tina started with surprise. Josef's past was a secret to most vampires in the community. Only a select few knew the truth about where he had come from. All else was founded on rumor and hearsay. But if his sire was here, than that meant things could very easily get out of hand. She hadn't signed on for this. She had merely wanted to do away with Amanda in a clean, quiet manner, not expose herself to the rage of a centuries old sire, not the kind that Henri was describing at any rate.

Henri was unaware of the fact that Tina was entertaining any doubts. He was only concerned with his own plans. "This is a set back, but not a failure. We can make this work to our advantage. All we have to make sure of is that Frederic suspects Carlisle more than he can suspect me. If we can make Frederic angry enough to act than he will strike first. He will kill Carlisle, and that will bring the rest of my family down on him. They will destroy each other, and I will watch what I have waited to see for so long. It will happen. It will. I know it."

Henri's mind had veered sharply away from reality. He seemed to have completely forgotten that anyone else was with him, absorbed in the vision of violence and hate which had sustained him for centuries. It was not more than a little disturbing, but Tina did not dare say anything to him. Fear had gripped her. Could there be any way that she might back out of this gracefully?

Before she could consider the question further, Philippe, one of Henri's followers spoke up. "Sir, are you sure that this is a wise course of action to pursue?"

The sound of one dissenting voice in the midst of his feverish planning was enough to bring Henri back to reality, but not necessarily to sanity. He turned and looked at the vampire who had spoken with a cold glare. "What are you suggesting, Philippe?"

"Henri, we all know what Frederic is capable of, and he is not stupid. What if he guesses the truth? He will come after you, and if that happens, I don't know if your family will do anything to avenge your death. You know what they think of you."

"I am perfectly aware of my family's opinion, Philippe; now tell me what is in your head?"

"Perhaps, it would be best if we stopped here. We should return to Paris. If we do nothing more there is the chance that Alexandre will forgive us and -"

Henri vamped so suddenly that not even Tina had seen it coming. Silver eyes blazing and a growl ripping from his throat, he leapt for Philippe, and held his throat in a vice-like grip. "You are mad if you think that, Philippe. Alexandre will pardon you; you will get off free and clear. While I will be sentenced once more to the watchful eye of my brother. I will be imprisoned once more and I won't be able to get the revenge which is mine by all rights. This is the only opportunity I have or ever will have and you are suggesting that I leave it?"

"Henri, listen to me."

"I expected so much better from you, Philippe. I thought that I could trust you. But you are no different than the rest of them. You are only looking out for yourself."

"Henri, wait. Please, don't-"

Philip got no further. Henri blinded by rage, madness and the bloodlust he had never learned to control fully, bit down on Philippe's neck and proceeded to rip his head off. Philippe's head rolled away, right in front of Tina's feet. Tina stood frozen by horror, as the head stared at her with eyes filled with pain and terror. Henri tossed the body aside, unmindful and uncaring of the blood he had just shed. There was still blood on mouth and the sight was one which made it easy to understand why vampires were always depicted as the villains.

"What about the rest of you?" he yelled, wildly turning from one to the other of those who were with him, his insanity reaching a fever pitch, "That is how I deal with anyone who thinks to defy me, who works against me. Know this, know this all of you. I _will not_ go crawling back to my brother begging for forgiveness. I would rather die a thousand times over than even contemplate doing such a thing. And anyone else who suggests it will die by my hand."

Anton alone among the others knew how to talk to Henri when he was in these mad rages. He held up his hands and spoke calmly to Henri, "Henri, we are with you. You don't have to resort to violence. Philippe was wrong to question you; he deserved what was coming to him. But don't think you are alone, because you aren't. We have followed you from the beginning and we won't leave you when you need us most."

Henri at first seemed unaffected by Anton's words, but after several tense seconds, he took a deep breath and gradually his body began to relax and his face eventually resumed its human visage. However, he was still dangerous and the slightest cause could send him flying off once more. He looked at each of his followers in turn, and then turned his gaze upon Tina. "And what about you, Miss Ferris? Are you with me or not?'

Tina looked down at the head of the unfortunate vampire and gulped. She had no choice in the matter. If Henri could violent so quickly with a friend, then what would he do with her if given half the chance? No, she had to see this through to the end, and hope that she played her cards right to stay alive. "I'm with you."

She still could not keep the slight quaver out of her voice, but it was good enough for Henri. He merely went on with his plans, as if he had never interrupted them in the first place. "Now, we have to accelerate our plans. In Frederic is here, there is a chance he might try to contact my family. I can't allow that to happen. Tina, you wanted a culprit to blame for the murder if your partner, well, I may have found the perfect guilty party. What we spoke of a few days ago, about luring your partner into a death trap."

"Yes?"

"Well, Anton here has just learned from the spy who is keeping tabs on Carlisle at the hospital the next time he will be meeting with his precious Cleaner. We are going to lure them both into a trap, which will rid you of Amanda Grayson and make Carlisle even more of a villain in the eyes of those who see him in a bad enough light already. Anton, I think it's time that we brought Mick and Beth into our power."

"In the way that we discussed?"

"Of course, make Mick believe that his precious human is in danger and he will charge into the rescue without pausing to check the facts. Beth will be easy enough to rope in after that. The time to act has come."


	19. Coming to Light

Coming to Light:

Beth arrived at Dashwood's at exactly five o' clock. She didn't come empty-handed, as she had been doing a lot of research on this particular subject in her spare time. Over pizza (well, pizza for her and blood for Karlie), the two women went over what they had found in their own separate investigations. They had actually found a quite bit more than they had been expecting and now all they needed to do was figure out how all of it was connected.

"I started with the very beginning," said Beth, "I went back to the French Revolution. There is actually quite a lot to be found about the Duvalls during that period. They wielded considerable influence at court, though it seems always behind the scenes. They were all pretty typical of the powerful, high-born aristocratic families, save some of the quirks which would have marked them as vampires if the sources knew what they were talking about. But, Carlisle was different from the start. I found several contemporary sources that say he was a dissenting voice, someone who spoke out against the excesses of the court of Louis XVI."

"Frederic did say that he had sympathy with the republicans of the French Revolution." Said Karlie, "But he made it sound like he used them for more nefarious purposes. Of course, considering how the French Revolution turned out, neither side really comes out looking all that good."

"That might be, but what I found doesn't always match with Frederic's opinion. I found that contains the names of people who were placed under suspicion by the authorities of the Revolution, especially after it started to be ruled more by paranoia than liberty and brotherhood. Carlisle's name is among them."

Karlie looked at Beth, "Carlisle?"

"Yes, and according to the to a few statements I found, it makes it seem like there were a lot of republican leaders who thought that Carlisle was as much a traitor to them as Frederic seems to think that he was to his family."

"What are you saying, Beth. I think I understand, but I want to hear it in your own words."

"I think there is some pretty clear evidence that Carlisle may have supported the republican cause in France up to a point. But I don't think that he wanted to associate with them after the Revolution turned into such a blood bath. I'm beginning to wonder if he left France not so much because he was guilty of something, but just because he couldn't stand the conflict anymore."

Karlie processed this information for a moment and said, "That makes sense. The Revolution eventually got to the point where anyone with moderate views was considered a traitor and summarily brought to the guillotine without a trial. The smart ones got out of France while they could, like Josef. That certainly paints a different picture of Carlisle Duvall; even if it doesn't prove directly that he isn't responsible for his sire's murder. I've found a few things myself. However, unlike you I couldn't use the more traditional routes; I had to go through a few back alleys."

"And what did you find?"

"One of the people who works in my research department also has a hobby of tracking down the past lives that vampires have led. I had her run Carlisle's name through the system. Apparently, he has been around. He almost always lives a variant of his two names. When I knew that, I was able to conduct a little search for him myself. He's always been involved to some extent in either botany or medicine, with medicine being the more common of the two. That would explain why the job comes so easily to him."

"Yeah, I would hope that after three hundred years, he would learn some sort of self-control."

There's something else as well, I couldn't find any sign of violence attached to his name, in any place he stayed over the past two hundred years."

"Can you really track that?"

"Sometimes you can, if a certain amount of people disappeared while a certain vampire was in residence, you can sometimes trace it. But with Carlisle, nothing. If he was as spiteful as Frederic says he is, than I think he would have let his control slip at least sometimes."

"And he's never left the United States?"

"Only twice that I could find, and both of those times were during the World Wars."

"Are you trying to tell me that Carlisle Duvall could have fought in the World Wars?"

"Well, I found a reference to a Lieutenant David Clark who served in the Second World War. He was killed on Jan. 13th, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge. Apparently he risked his life to bring two wounded men out of the line of fire. After bringing them to safety, he went out to get third and that was when he was killed by German fire. His remains were never found, but his dog tags were sent back to his nearest relation back in the states, a man who went under the name of Carl Duvall."

The two exchanged glances. "That is too much of a similarity to be a coincidence." Said Beth, "In fact, what you just said reminds me of something." She dug around her bag and withdrew two documents.

"I also found the same story, and more about the regiment that this Lieutenant Clark belonged too. You won't believe it." She laid the two pieces of paper on the desk in front of Karlie. One had come a website that told of soldiers who had sacrificed themselves in the wars America fought, particularly those were lesser known. The other was a photograph taken in 1940, taken from the same website. "This website also includes quotes from eye witness accounts." Siad Beth, "Run your eye over both of these, and tell me if anything strikes you as familiar."

Karlie ran her eye over what was said of David Clark. About halfway down the page, she saw a quote that said, "David Clark was a true hero. He gave without any thought of reward or risk to himself. If it hadn't been for him, more than a few of us would have died. We all looked up to him. I only hope that I can somehow live up to his example."

Karlie looked at the name under the quote. "Oh my God." She breathed. She immediately turned to the photo and scanned the faces. Two of them stood out. One, far in the back and half hidden by the face of another man, was a blurred form that might have passed for a man. Anyone who was not familiar with it would have dismissed as a mere trick of the light, or the less than stellar quality of 1940's photography. However, Karlie knew what that blur was, a vampire. She could only assume that was Carlisle with his unit. And the other face, right in the front, made her mouth drop open. For a few seconds, all she could do was look from one paper to the other in shock. Than she raised her eyes to meet Beth, "Are you sure this is accurate?"

Beth nodded. "I even called the website creators to make sure. They said all of their information is up to date and checked thoroughly. Mistakes are rare."

Karlie sat back in her seat, still in shock. "Mick knew Carlisle." She said, "He fought with him in World War II, when he was still human and he didn't even know we existed."

"And judging from what I found, he actually respected him a great deal. If that's the case, why didn't he remember him?"

Karlie shook her head. "It was a long time ago, and Mick has experienced so much in his short existence that not even he could be expected to remember everything from his human life. But perhaps if he knew about this, then it would stir his memory. I think we might have the evidence that we need to at least come to Mick abut our suspicions. If he's really the great private investigator I've always thought of him as, than he should be willing to hear another side of the story."

"He's home tonight, actually." Said Beth, "I think it would be best if I tried to tell him this just on my own for right now. He'll be more inclined to listen to me."

"Yes, I think so." Said Karlie, with a smile, "If it's coming from you, I can only assume that he will. I think we've made a good start today, Beth. We should be proud of ourselves. Who says that we have to leave all of the investigative work to the men?"

Beth laughed. "I think we might have given them a run for their money this time. I just hope that we can convince them to go a different way with this."

"If what we have found can't at least make them hesitate, than Josef at least is more stubborn than even I ever gave him credit for. However, I do have a thought of where we could go from here. I haven't been able to find yet if Carlisle sired anyone, but I haven't looked closely enough. It might be worth looking into."

"What would that tell us?"

"If Carlisle sired someone that could tell us a lot about his true nature. You can tell a lot from someone by the way that they turn someone. Coraline, for example, turned Mick without his consent or knowledge. It takes a pretty sick mind to do that. Carlisle might be different; at least, that's what I'm hoping. It might take a little digging, but I've picked up a few things with Ryder when it comes to tracking down sires and fledglings. I should be able to find something, unless Carlisle did a really good job of covering his tracks."

Beth was about to respond, when her cell phone rang. Since the incident at the warehouse, all of them had changed out their cell phones, hoping to get rid of the advantage which Henri (and in the minds of everyone but Beth and Karlie, Carlisle as well), had had over them the past few weeks. It was a text from Mick. _Hi, Beth. Would you mind coming over? I have some things I need to discuss with you about Carlisle._

"Well, this is a coincidence." Said Beth, "No sooner do we finish speaking of Carlisle than Mick wants to talk to me about him."

"Karma." Said Karlie, "You might not get another chance like this, Beth, I would advise you to take it."

Beth gathered up her things and stood up. "Thanks, Karlie. I think that we're onto something."

"And something which I hope will be in the best interests for all of us." Said Karlie. Beth nodded in agreement and, throwing her one last smile, headed out the door.

* * *

Please read and review.

Next chapter: For all the benefits of modern technology, it turns out that it's also far easier to deceive people with them than it used to be. A threatening phone call here, a seemingly innocent text there. These are the things which can draw even the vigilant into a trap.


	20. Caught in a Trap

Caught in a Trap:

It was about midnight when Mick got the call. He had been out at Josef's, going over some of what he had learned about the whereabouts of Carlisle and Henri. They had finally tracked down the address of Carlisle's house, but were holding off on doing anything more until they could track down Henri, and any accomplices that they had helping them. He was driving home, when his phone rang. It was not a number he recognized, but that did not necessarily arouse his suspicion, until he answered. "Hello, Mick St John."

There was an unexpected, and Mick sensed threatening silence on the other end, before he heard the answer. "Mick St. John, I have waited a long time to meet you."

Mick's brows furrowed. His vamp sense was suddenly aroused. Something was very, very wrong. "Who is this?"

"You can't guess? I am disappointed, Mick, I thought for sure that your supposed talents as a Private Investigator would have tipped you off to my identity, at once."

Mick's mind was racing. That voice did not belong to Carlisle; there was something about the tone and phrasing, something that set his skin on edge. "Henri Duvall?"

"Bravo, Mr. St. John. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"What do you want?" Mick growled, angrily.

"I want you, Mick." Henry's voice was cold, grating and jagged. "I want you to pay for what you have done to my family and my sister in particular."

"If this is about Beth, I'm not going to repent anything. She is twice the woman that your sister ever was."

"Oh really? I wonder if she would agree with you. Coraline would have been able to endure what I have done so far, and so much more. Little Beth may be a human, but even I was expecting her to be tougher than she turned out."

Horror filled Mick, followed closely by rage. "Don't you lay a hand on her!" He growled.

"I'm afraid that it's already a bit too late for that. I'm afraid that I had to restrain her when she found out we were here, and that of course involves a bit of handling. But don't worry; she won't be badly hurt, not unless you come back to your apartment right away. We have much to discuss." With that, the line went abruptly dead.

Mick looked at the phone in evident frustration, than took a firmer grip on the wheel and increased his speed. He briefly considered calling Josef, but reluctantly decided against it. There might be a chance that Henri was still tapping their communication somehow. Changing out cell phones didn't necessarily take care of the danger. He had encountered too many cases where multiple cell phone numbers could be tracked without any difficulty. It was the curse of modern technology. Therefore, he had advised the rest to keep any phone calls to a minimum. He didn't Henri to think that someone was coming and then have him do something to Beth. He couldn't risk that, not with Beth. All he could do was hope that he reached her in time.

Mick did reach the apartment in record time. The elevator really didn't move fast enough for him; however, when it did finally come to a stop and the doors opened, he did not go charging out into the hallway. He emerged cautiously, and checked all around him. He could not smell anything, and for a second he did hope that maybe Henri had been merely toying with him, but that hope quickly vanished when he saw the fleeting shadow on the other side of the hall. He quickly drew out his gun and aimed in that direction.

"Come out," he ordered, sharply, "come out where I can see you."

A moment of silence, and then a vampire with blond hair emerged from the shadows, also holding a gun aimed at Mick. The two sized each other up for a moment, before the unknown vampire said, "Lower your weapon, Mr. St. John. Henri will not hesitate to harm Miss Turner further if he hears a scuffle. Play by the rules we set down and you might yet be able to save both your lives."

Mick growled, his inner vampire struggling against his control, longing to be unleashed and to tackle the other vampire in front of him. But than he heard another vampire emerging from the door of his office, right behind him. He was hemmed in and outnumbered. Slowly, he lowered his gun, but he did not let go of it. "Where is she?" he demanded, "Is she alive?"

"Of course she is." said the first vampire, as if it should have been obvious, "Henri has need of her, and that need would be somewhat negated if he had killed her."

"She is not a part of anyone's plan. Let alone any plan that your employers might have for her."

The first vampire, who was Anton, though Mick was unaware that any of Henri's accomplices had names, cocked his head questioningly. "Employers?"

"Henri and Carlisle. They won't succeed with their plan whatever it is it might be."

For a brief second, Mick though he saw Anton's mouth twist into a smirk, as though he were enjoying a particularly wicked joke at Mick's expense. But it vanished again before Mick could be certain. "Well, we shall see about that. Now, if you will come with us. I'm sure that Henri will be very pleased to see you."

"And Carlisle, where does he fit into all this?"

"You shall soon learn all in due course. Get moving, St. John, Henri Duvall is not a patient vampire."

The two vampires flanked Mick and marched into the apartment, where there were two other vampires sitting in the living room, and forced him up the steps to the roof. None of them saw the flash of silver and black which darted out the now open door and cowered in the shadows of the hallway, eyes fixated on the elevator door, as if waiting for something to happen, or someone to appear. If any of the vampires had noticed it, they would have taken no notice of it. After all, what was a cat to them?

They might have been wise to take a closer look. Sometimes, animals know danger better than humans are ever aware of. In the case of tonight, one little cat would probably be what changed the course of the entire event.

* * *

When Mick emerged with his escort into the night air, he saw the back of a tall vampire with black hair, with another vampire standing a little behind him. It reminded him of the night that Lance had shown up at his apartment looking for Coraline, only that encounter had been nothing compared to this one. He looked around him wildly, but he could see no sign of Beth. Where was she? Was she hurt?

But he would not have to wait for long. For Henri Duvall suddenly spoke and his tone carried more than a little self-satisfaction. "That was almost entirely too easy." He turned around, and Mick recognized the vampire who had regarded with such intense hatred the night of the warehouse raid. The face was recognizable as the Duvall line, and those half-mad green eyes, which were now glittering at him in triumph, would have been unmistakable anywhere.

"Where is she?" Mick demanded, starting forward, but he suddenly found himself restrained by the two vampires behind him.

Henri smiled. "Well, how on earth should I know? You are a pitiful Private Investigator after all, Mick, if you could not even detect a deception when you hear one. No matter, though. You came and straight away, like the gallant lover you are, and just like I knew you would. You have been quite easy and for that I am perfectly grateful."

Suddenly it all became clear to Mick. "She's not here, is she?" Strangely, the very first thing he felt was relief. True, he had been stupid enough to walk into this trap without even thinking, but Beth was safe. She was safe and that was all that mattered.

"No, she is not." Said Henri, "And I am quite surprised that you did not think to ask to speak to her. That should be standard procedure you are familiar with in cases of hostage negotiations."

Mick did not deign to reply to this reply. Instead he said, "So, now what are you intending to do with me? Are you just going to kill me right now?"

"Oh believe me, I would really like too. But unfortunately for my own immediate sense of gratification, I can't do that just yet. Simply killing you would be far too easy. I'm planning on something more fitting for you and your crimes."

"Would you care letting me at least what you think I've done. I should think that I, at least deserve a chance to defend myself."

Henri's eyes flashed. A growl rumbled in his chest and his hand shot out, grasping Mick by the throat and brought their faces together so that they were merely inches away. The move had come as a complete surprise to Mick. Though he had been told of Henri's insanity, actually seeing it first hand was something else entirely. "You cannot think to defend yourself, St. John, not when you flaunt it so openly among our kind. You abandoned my sister, vampire royalty, for the company of a human."

As if the very thought disgusted him, he threw Mick away from him, and he landed several feet away, gasping for breath. "This is what this is about, isn't it?" He coughed out, beginning to feel very angry himself. "You're upset that I left that liar of a sister of yours and gave my heart to someone who truly understands me."

"My sister gave you a gift and you rejected it!"

"She never gave me a choice. She forced it on me. It was a curse, not a gift."

Henri smirked, "And yet it has seemed to serve you very well. Beth Turner certainly seems to like you well enough. I wonder if she would think the same of you if you were a human."

"She doesn't love me because I'm a vampire; she loves me because for who I am."

"A noble sentiment, St. John, but you will find that such emotions never work with the humans. They are lesser beings, and you would have done much better to use Miss Turner as an entrée rather than a companion in your bed, for all the pleasure she must find there."

Mick had heard enough. Anyone who spoke of Beth in that way be they mortal or vampire, royalty or not, they became his enemy. A deep rage rose in his heart against Henri. He lost control of his inner vampire. The next instant, his eyes grew silver and his canines came down. He rose to his feet and stared at Henri with cold hatred. Henri hissed at him, clearly inviting him to the make the first charge. And Mick took it.

He lunged at Henri, who met him head on. The sound of their collision sounded like a faint thunder-clap. Mick struck Henri across the face, which forced Henri back a few steps. While he was recovering, Mick tackled him to the ground. The two rolled around each other for a few seconds, but it was ultimately Henri who came out on top. Like his brother Lance, Henri was a dangerous fighter, and he was not above cheating to gain the upper hand. Mick may have had the upper hand for the first few seconds, but in the end, he would not be able to overcome Henri this time. Besides, Mick was kind of outnumbered, it was only natural that when they saw their master in danger, Anton and his companion would step forward and drag Mick out of the fight, this time holding him securely pinned, despite all of Mick's struggles.

Henri regarded Mick with a look of clear contempt. "What could my sister possibly have seen in you, that is what I would like to know?" He spat, "Such a pathetic excuse for a vampire. Obsessed with things like love, honor, justice. Those will never be of any stead to you Mick. The world is a cruel and harsh place, to survive, you need to be willing to claw your way to the top by any means necessary."

"If that's your philosophy, I know that it really worked with you." growled Mick, "You were the one whose been holed by the rest of your family for so long, because they knew you were a threat."

"Then who should know better than me about the harshness of reality?" said Henri, in a soft voice, and for a moment, his eyes showed the pain and misery which he had endure for so many years. "You have no idea what it is like, to be treated like an animal by your own family. You have never known what it feels like to have no freedom, to be watched even while you're alone. Too often I have been promised one thing; only to have it denied me. Don't think you can judge me, St. John, for you have never experienced what it means to be a captive." For a split-second, it might have almost been easy to feel sorrow for Henri, or at least, to see why he had turned out the way he had. But it lasted only a second. Henri's next words were spoken in a voice that was filled with hate and malice. "You should at least be grateful that you're death will serve a purpose, Mick, even if your life meant nothing. You were instrumental in my revenge from the first."

"If you hate your family so much, how come you want to avenge Coraline?"

"Coraline alone of any of the others has never earned my enmity. She has been my only ally through all these long years, she has pleaded for my release several times. I can only hope that she will be spared the coming conflict."

Mick could hardly believe his ears. "You would be willing to put Coraline in danger for the sake of your own revenge? You really don't have any idea what it means to love someone."

"I never said that I loved Coraline, Mick. Only that I did not hate her. I think you will find over the centuries that there is a distinct difference. Now, we are running short of time for this lovely introduction. In a few minutes, Beth Turner will be here and then we can go on our way."

When Mick heard this, it was as if a stake had been literally shot through his heart. "What do you mean when she gets here?"

"You didn't honestly think I would leave her out of this, did you? A few minutes before you arrived, I sent her a message using your number, which by the way, I still have access too. She was kind enough to reply and say that she would be on her way directly. She is at least obedient to your beck and call I will give her that."

"I don't believe you." said Mick, almost frantic with concern now, and clutching to the one last hope he had.

"Yes, I thought you would say that, considering my last deception. But in this case, let me assure you, it's the truth." He showed Mick his cell phone and the text message from Beth, "See, this time, I am not telling a lie."

Mick's last hope died. His Beth was going to be here soon, and he could do nothing to save her. "Then it seems that you and Carlisle have thought of everything, haven't you?"

Henri's raised his eyebrows inquiringly, "My brother? Have you met him, then?"

"Of course, I've met your accomplice. But Josef has been moving in on him. He won't be able to help you for long."

No sooner had Mick said these words, when Henri began to laugh, a move which caught Mick by surprise. It was as if Mick had said something totally hysterical. "Oh, Mick, Mick, you are very funny. You actually think that my brother is helping me with these nefarious plots."

"I don't have to think it, I know it. I know all of the things he's done. You two must have a lot in common. Your trying to become a murderer, he must have taught you well if he killed your sire."

This just seemed to amuse Henri even more. "Well, you certainly have heard of my brother's more colorful history, but let me tell you something: Carlisle has nothing to do with this."

Mick's eyes showed confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, seeing as how I am going to kill you soon, I guess it would be more of a torture for you to know the truth and be unable to do anything about it. Carlisle is harmless, peace-loving. He would not hurt a fly if he could, let alone killing anyone. The reports of reputation have been wildly exaggerated, I can assure. None of the accusations are true. However, I can see that it has proved very beneficial to me. All this time you were trying to find him, and that gave me the chance to spring this trap on you and your precious Beth."

Mick had listened to all of this in mounting shock and horror. At first, he was inclined to think that Henri was lying to him, but there was something in the crazed satisfaction which Henri passed on the news to him that made Mick doubt. By the time Henri had finished, he was convinced. The revelation struck him; Frederic, Josef, Beth, Karlie and himself, they were all operating under a false assumption. The true threat was here, right in front of him. And he was powerless to be able to do anything to tell them. Mick could see that they had been outsmarted by this dangerous enemy. They had all been caught in a trap.

* * *

If I were really mean, I would make this a cliffie and not go on. However, I am not feeling all that mean right now, so the next chapter is immediately posted so that you can see what happens next.


	21. The Shadows Lengthen

The Shadows Lengthen:

Beth did not suspect anything to be amiss when she got out of the elevator. She had thought that that she was perfectly safe, and that there was no need to worry, for herself or Mick. However, no sooner had she taken two steps towards Mick's door when she suddenly heard a hiss come from one of the shadows at the other end of the hallway. She jumped, her hand half moving to the gun that was hidden in her purse.

Luckily, she didn't respond to her first instinct to pull it out and shoot, because the next second, Travis stepped into the light and came running towards her. Letting out a sigh of half annoyance and half relief, Beth knelt down and stroked Travis. "Travis, you really shouldn't scare me like that."

Travis, however, was not reacting the way he normally did when he saw Beth after a long absence. He was not purring or rubbing up against her, instead he was meowing in an almost urgent way. When Beth tried to pick him up, he darted away, back towards the elevator. When Beth tried to move towards Mick's apartment, Travis was in front of her, blocking her way, getting under her feet deliberately. "Travis, what is the matter with you?" This was completely unlike Travis, and Beth wasn't sure how much she should be irritated or worried.

She tried to move forward again, but Travis yowled and struck out with one of his paws, claws extended. It was only at this point, that Beth began to feel worried. Travis never scratched anyone ever (well, sometimes, he tried to take a whack at Josef, but he never succeeded). Instead of trying to get to the door, she asked him, "Travis, are you trying to tell me something?"

Travis, sensing that he had at last gotten through to the dense human, meowed excitedly and ran to the elevator. When Beth did not follow immediately, he looked behind him, and Beth could have sworn that he rolled his eyes in exasperation. He ran back to her and meowed. He clearly meant for her to follow him, Beth realized, he wanted her to leave the hallway.

And no sooner did that thought occur to her than Travis suddenly started going crazy. His back arched and his hair stood straight up. He began hissing and spitting angrily. His tail was up and flicking back and forth. All this happened within the space of a few seconds, and Beth turned around and saw what Travis had been trying to warn her of for the past few minutes. There, standing in the hallway, not twenty feet from her, a vampire was emerging from Mick's door, a vampire that she had never seen before in her life. This time, her first reaction proved to be the right action for her to take. She did not know what that vampire was doing in Mick's apartment, all she knew for certain was that he wasn't supposed to be there and she wasn't going to take any chances.

She pulled out the gun and fired twice. Two rounds of silver slammed into the arm and shoulder of the unfortunate vampire, and he fell to his knees with an agonized cry. She heard others in the apartment, yelling things which she couldn't make out clearly, and she didn't stick around to find out. She had only a few seconds. She managed to scoop up Travis in one arm and pressed the button of the elevator. It almost didn't open or close fast enough for her. A split second before the door closed, she saw the flash of a vampire out of the corner of her eye.

She knew that she still wasn't safe, just yet. The vampires would start to track her down almost immediately. All she could hope to do was elude them long enough to get to some form of security. Luckily, she and Mick had worked out an escape plan for times like this. After all, one never knew when the worst would happen, or what form it could take. Now, Beth was glad that they had a plan.

Halfway down the apartment building, there was a floor where no one lived. It was really more of a maintenance hallway than anything else and it was rarely used. There was a back entrance on this floor, with a staircase that led out to the front of the building. Beth knew that was her only shot.

She managed to get out of the actual building without getting caught, which she was grateful for, but now the question struck her as to what she should be doing next. But no sooner had the question crossed her mind, than a pair of headlights appeared around the corner, a familiar midnight blue Porsche appeared. Beth had to admit that she had never been more relieved to see Karlie than she had at that moment.

The next moment, Karlie had caught sight of her. Parking haphazardly along the curb, she sprang out and was by her side in the blink of an eye, "Beth," she asked, seeing the look of fear in her eyes, not to mention the frightened cat in her arms, "What's the matter? What's going on?"

"It's Mick, I don't know where he is. There are strange vampires in his apartment and I think-"

A shot suddenly rang through the night, Karlie immediately pushed Beth out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting hit herself. Two vampires appeared from the opposite direction, both of them pointing guns at the two women, getting ready to shoot again. Karlie wasted no time, in pushing Beth into the car just ahead of the next two shots. She briefly was thankful that she had brought her own weapon.

Firing off a few rounds in order to give herself some time, she jumped from the passenger side of the car over to the driver's side and got in. Gunning the motor, she wheeled the car around and sped off down the street. "For once, I'm grateful that I decided to bring back your flash drive." She said, as she threw Beth the flash drive which she had forgotten at her office. "What about these strange vamps? Did you get a good look at them?"

"No, I only saw one and I took care of him. I don't know how many there are."

"Well, after that little display, I think it's a safe bet that they know you have escaped."

"But what about Mick?" said Beth, now that she was safe enough herself, her mind had immediately turned to Mick and the imminent danger that he must be in. "He sent me that text. What if they try to hurt him now that they don't have me? Karlie, we have to go back."

"Are you kidding, Beth? Someone just tried to kill you."

"Karlie," said Beth, her stubborn streak starting to show. "We have to see what happened to Mick. Take me back there or I'll jump out the car door."

"Good luck trying to do that, I can lock them automatically." She saw Beth's pleading look. "All right, all right, but we're not going in there without back-up. Whoever is in there, they obviously had some sort of plan, and I want to be sure that we don't get caught up in anything." She took out her cell phone and automatically dialed Josef. "Josef, you had better get out to Mick's apartment. He's been hit. I don't know. Beth got a text about twenty minutes from Mick, saying to meet him at her apartment. When she got there, there were vampires in the apartment and she barely managed to escape. They seemed pretty desperate to get her. They even went after her when I picked her up. Yes, we're both fine. Just get out here with Frederic right away."

She hung up and she pulled the car to a stop about a block from Mick's apartment. "Beth, I don't feel comfortable going in there until we know what we're up against. Please, agree to stay with me until Josef and Frederic get here. We are stronger together, not apart."

Beth nodded reluctantly. She could see the sense in Karlie's argument, and she knew that if Mick was here he would be advising the same thing. Still, she did not like to sit and do nothing if she thought Mick was in danger. She knew that as a human there was little she could do to really protect him, but at the same time, she wanted to do whatever she could. "Fine, I just don't like knowing what's happened to him."

Karlie laid a hand on Beth's own. "Don't worry. Mick will be fine. He knows how to take care of himself."

Beth looked at her. "Do you really believe that?"

"I'm trying too; someone has to be the optimistic one right now. I just hope that Josef and Frederic get here soon, before anything _does_ happen to Mick, anything that we cannot prevent."

* * *

Unfortunately, Mick was not necessarily in a position where he could be safe for very long. He had waited in agonizing silence for what seemed like hours, waiting for the inevitable arrival of Beth, powerless to save her or warn her of the disaster she was walking into. It didn't help matters that Henri stood there with a mocking smirk on his face the entire time. And when he heard the shots ring out in the apartment below him, he tensed, almost ready to bolt and see if she was all right.

Henri frowned when he heard the shots. "I do hope that they haven't damaged her in anyway." He commented, "I wanted her whole for my plans. If she is shot, it will make torture that much less fun."

Mick was utterly applaud that Henri could speak of harming another creature so casually. But at that very moment, one of the other vampires he had seen in the apartment came stumbling up the steps. He looked decidedly nervous, so much so that he could hardly speak intelligibly. "Henri, sir, the human is… well, she had… and now she is…"

"Speak clearer, you fool." Growled Henri, "Don't waste time."

"Well, the woman was armed and she shot Jason, who was going out to try and get her, and she, well, escaped."

Henri's eyes bulged with a sudden terrible fury. It was so sudden in fact that it took even Mick by surprise. "ESCAPED!" He bellowed, as took a menacing step towards the unfortunate guard, "You had better tell me that she has been retrieved soon, or I will have all of your heads as punishment for your failure." He grabbed the vampire by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. "You allowed yourselves to be outdone by a human?"

"Sir, she was armed." The vampire choked out, "We weren't expecting it."

Henri was probably about to do something far worse to the vampire in his grip than just strangling the air from him, but the guard was saved when Henri's cell phone rang. Dropping the guard without so much as a second thought he answered, "Christopher, what is it?"

The voice on the other end was urgent. "Henri, I just intercepted a call from Karlie Dashwood. You have to get out of there, pronto. Koston and Braun are their way over."

Henri growled. "We're pulling out. Meet us at the rendezvous." He slammed the cell phone shut and turned his gaze on Mick, who had not been able to hide the satisfaction blazing in his eyes as the events swiftly turned against Henri's carefully laid plans. "I suppose you must be feeling very good about yourself, St. John."

"Can you blame me?" answered Mick, "You gloated; now I can. Seems only fair play. I told you that you wouldn't succeed. And now that I know the truth, you can be assured that nothing like this is going to happen again."

Henri stared at Mick, a deadly look in his eyes. He came towards him, and put a firm, unbreakable hand on his shoulder. "You will not be remembering anything, St. John. As I did with Josef at the warehouse, so I will do with you." He stabbed a needle into Mick's arm, and Mick had no time to react, and he slumped over, unconscious. Henri regarded the form with undisguised contempt, than looked at Anton and the other two. "Come on, we don't have much time. I don't want to be here when Koston and Braun show up. There will be a time to confront them, but not now. It looks like we will have to reconfigure our plans. Hopefully, our Miss Ferris has done her work with Amanda Greyson, so that at least something useful will have come out of this night. Let's go." Like wraiths in the dark night, the three vampires vanished, leaving behind the unconscious body of Mick St. John.

* * *

When he came too, Mick was looking into the anxious face of Beth. When she saw him open his eyes, she let loose huge sigh of relief and proceeded to hug the stuffing out of him. "Oh, Mick, you're awake. thank God."

It ws rather a good thing that Mick didn't need to breath in order to survive, because Beth could very easily have suffocated him. He saw Josef, Frederic and Karlie standing behind her, all of them with very worried expressions on their faces. "You had us all worried there for awhile, buddy." Said Josef, as he came up to him, "We found you unconscious on the roof. I'm guessing you can't remember anything."

Mick took a moment to think over the memory of the last hour and then slowly shook his head. "No, not much. The last definite thing I remember was leaving your place, Josef. Everything else is a blur."

"I think we might be able to help a little with filling in the blanks." Said Frederic, "Whatever masking agent they were using shielded them mostly from our sight. However, there were some slight traces still evident. Henri was here, with his posse. I don't think that we have to guess what he was planning on doing."

"Mick," said Beth, "did you send me a text while I was at Karlie's, about wanting to see me?"

Mick tried to remember, shaking his head. "I don't know for certain. I mean, I'm pretty sure that I didn't."

Josef shook his head and cursed silently. Frederic too looked worried. "This is getting to the point where we need to make some sort of move. Tonight was to close of a call. We need to have a plan of action so that something like this is prevented."

At this moment, the conversation was interrupted when Josef's cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, and said, "It's Tina, one of the Cleaners." He almost looked reluctant to answer, since they now didn't know who would be listening.

"I think that there might be very little which could pass between you and a Cleaner that Henri or Carlisle would probably not already know themselves." said Frederic, "Besides, in this instance, I don't think you can afford to ignore it."

Josef nodded, seeing the sense in what his sire had said. "Hello," he said, into the phone, and then he said, in a surprised voice, "Tina, what is this about? Do you have something?" He listened for a few seconds more and a grave expression entered his face. "A fire? At 919 Figaroura?" Another few seconds and then Josef closed his eyes, as though he had just received a piece of terrible news. "Are you certain about that, Tina? All right, we'll be in touch. Thank you."

He hung up the phone and turned to look at the faces which were staring at him. "That was Tina Ferris. She's just come from a massive fire at 919 Figaroura. The place has been completely destroyed."

"Carlisle must be getting nervous if he thinks that he needs to destroy one of his bases of operation." Remarked Mick.

"But that's not even the worst of it." said Josef, "I think I know why Carlisle wasn't here tonight. Tina found a scent that she didn't recognize, and she saw what happened. Carlisle was responsible for setting the fire. Somehow, Amanda was with him, and he staked her. According to Tina, She died in the blaze."

* * *

Oh, now I feel like being mean. The momentum is about to pick up and it's going to slow down, so hang on for the ride. Please read and review in the meantime.

Next time: Amanda is dead! Or is she? We know that Tina is working for Henri, but none of the others know that. But when Carlisle is faced with the death of evertything he holds dear, he is forced to put his life on the line, and to eneter into the one element that spells death for vampires. But when it comes to saving the woman he loves, he will brave even the heat of the flames.


	22. Into the Fire

Into the Fire:

_Five hours previously_

It had seemed too many at the hospital that Dr. Carlisle Duvall was in an unusually good mood that evening, and it was not just that he was working half a shift on a weekend. Indeed, considering the still perilous position in which he was in, Carlisle was himself a little surprised. He was beginning to suspect that there was someone dogging his footsteps, and he would not be half –surprised if it was Koston trying to keep tabs on his whereabouts. He had not heard anything else from him, but he was certain at some point in the next few weeks, it would come to a reckoning. He was becoming more convinced that Guillermo had been right. This time he would have to give an account of himself. He could not run.

But those things were not yet of his immediate concern, merely lurking at the corners of his mind, like a lone rain cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Tonight, he had something far more pleasant planned for his weekend. He had managed to wrangle Amanda to spend the weekend with him when she wasn't on duty, and she was going to meet him when his shift at the hospital ended. Their relationship had more involved ever since their first real night spent together. They were still catching up on all that they had been left out on over the past eighty years. Carlisle would have been perfectly happy if they never got to the point where they were caught up, just so they could have more of an excuse to be together.

She arrived promptly at the time they had agreed upon. Amanda was precise in everything, her training as a Cleaner rather predisposed her to that. Carlisle was there to greet her, the smile on his face and the light in his eyes showing how truly happy he was to see her. "Amanda, you know it's been over forty-eight hours since the last time I saw you? I hardly know how I have survived."

Amanda couldn't help but laugh. "You think your flattery opens any door don't you?"

Carlisle shrugged. "You're here, right? Why should I need anymore flattery than that?"

"You know how annoying you are when you're right?' Amanda questioned, "However, I am not coming over to your house to be bored. I expect you to keep me entertained."

"You won't have to worry about that." said Carlisle, a truly devilish gleam in his eye, "I just happened to get the new bed this afternoon. I'm going to need some help testing it out."

Amanda leaned forward and put her arms around his neck. "I like that sound of that. How much testing do you think it will need?"

"Oh, extensive testing, very extensive." Said Carlisle, temptingly, as he leaned forward to kiss her deeply.

Suddenly Amanda's cell phone went off. Amanda muttered a curse. "That's Tina, my associate." She said, rather sourly, "I can't be ignoring that ring, not with the way the situation is in LA right now."

"Go ahead. I don't mind being involved with a working woman; it makes you more attractive in my eyes."

Amanda raised an eyebrow, "The skin tight leather doesn't have anything to do with it."

Carlisle's eyes raked Amanda's body, making no attempt to hide how much he enjoyed the sight. "That's an added bonus."

Amanda swatted him on the arm, and than answered the phone. "Yes, Tina?"

"Amanda, I need your assistance. There's a big clean-up job at my current location, and I need back-up."

Amanda sighed, knowing that it would be useless to argue with Tina when she used that voice. "Fine, Tina. Text me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can." She looked at Carlisle, "Sorry, even if I am off duty, this is something I have to attend to."

"Hey, no apologies. I have some things to take care of here." He peeked at the address which passed over her phone's screen. "919 Fagaroura, that's only twenty minutes away from here. Drop your clothes for this weekend in my car and I'll pick you up when you're starting to get done. Cut out the commute."

Amanda smiled, obviously grateful for the offer. "Thanks, Carlisle. You're sweet."

"Well, I try to be and it's easy when I have the right inducement." He kissed her lightly on the cheek, "Be careful, Amanda."

"I always am, Carlisle. See you a little later."

She left, throwing a glance over her shoulder to see that Carlisle was still watching her until she was out of sight. When she was gone, Carlisle turned to go back to his office, but stopped after a few steps. There it was that strange feeling of being watched. He looked back over his shoulder but did not seem anything out of the ordinary. He shook it off as a moment of paranoia, and then headed on his way.

Carlisle may have been looking forward to a peaceful weekend, but fate had other ideas for him. The moment of reckoning he had thought to be far off was approaching faster than even he had thought. The events of this night would prove to be a turning point in his life, because everything he held dear was about to be put in mortal danger.

* * *

_Forty minutes later_…

He had not received any message from Amanda which told him that she would soon be ready. But he was starting to feel a little restless. So, he decided that he would simply drive out to the location where she was and wait for her. However, just when he was passing in front of the door of one of the labs, which was abandoned at this time of night, his sensitive vampire hearing picked up a voice that was undoubtedly that of one of the young interns, John. He might have dismissed it, except that he heard one key line which caused him to stop in his tracks. "Yes, Henri, she was here just an hour ago, and she left as soon as she got the phone message." A short pause, than, "Yes, if she headed right over there then she should be there right now." Pause. "Is that all you wanted to know than, Henri? I do not like this; I don't like spying on Dr. Duvall like this. I was all right with telling you that he saw Beth Turner, but…" Another pause, and whoever the other person on the end of the conversation was, he must have had a frightening voice, for the next words were spoken in a rushed, almost terrified tone. "Yes, all right, all right. I'll keep watching your brother until you tell me to stop, just don't do anything to me, please. All right, Duvall, yes. Good bye."

Carlisle heard all of this, and with each successive revelation, he felt as if he had been punched several times in the stomach. He had been being followed, and by one of his own aids no less. But that was nothing compared to what he had heard. Henri was here in LA no less. But how could that have happened? He knew how tight a hold Alexandre kept on him. If he got loose, he knew that the danger to the community could cause irreparable damage.

He had heard from Coraline when they had met that Henri had only grown worse than his memory told him. She had said that he repeatedly swore vengeance against the entire Duvall line, because of the captivity that they had place on him. Now, he was out, so that must mean that he was putting that plan into plan. Suddenly, everything began to make sense. The events of the past few weeks, Josef's suspicions and warnings to watch what he did in LA, the reports he had from Amanda and Guillermo about what had happened to Beth Turner. He understood it all now. His brother was behind those crimes, with the clear intent on making him responsible and starting a war between Josef Koston and his family.

But all this paled in immediate comparison to what he had just heard. Amanda had been roped into Henri's schemes. John had said that she had left the hospital immediately after she got the call. His blood ran cold when he realized that Amanda must be walking into a deadly trap.

And it was all thanks to that little stupid intern not minding his own business when he should have stayed out of it. Carlisle knew that John had the answers he wanted, and he would not be leaving without them; he would take them by force if he had to. Without hesitation, Carlisle stepped up to the door and opened it at the very moment when John was trying to sneak out quietly. John's eyes bugged out and he stopped dead in his tracks, because Carlisle's normally easy manner seemed to have vanished. There was a deadly look in his blue eyes which made John's blood run cold. "Dr. Duvall," John stammered, "I-I didn't think you would still be here."

"Who were you talking with just now, John?" Carlisle demanded without so much as a preamble.

"Who? No one, I wasn't talking to anyone."

Carlisle took a menacing step forward, and John, now completely scared out of his wits took several steps backwards, trying to avoid his supervisor's wrath, with limited success.

Carlisle came completely into the room and coolly closed the door. Now John had nowhere to run or hide. "I will make this simple for you, John." Said Carlisle, with a deadly calm. "Either you tell me the truth, right now, and I spare your life or I make this hard and drag the information out of you bit by bit."

"Would you really kill me, Dr. Duvall?" John was a little startled by the threat, for Carlisle seemed like the very last person in the world to even think of hurting anyone. But he had done the wrong thing in assuming that about Carlisle.

The blood of the Duvall line still ran in Carlisle's veins. It was something he could not deny. The temper of the Duvalls was notorious. Carlisle had the same problem. He was the most controlled of his siblings. However, when his rage was awakened, he was he most deadly of any of them.

In the blink of an eye, John found himself being hurled across the room. He even thought that he heard a roar like an angry bear issuing from Carlisle's throat, though his head hit the far wall with such force he wasn't sure if he imagined it. He thought he also imagined the fact that Carlisle crossed the room at nearly impossible speed and hauled him up by his throat, so that his feet were dangling above the floor. "What did you tell man you were talking with on the phone?" Carlisle demanded, shaking John slightly. He was somehow managing to keep his eyes from vamping, a difficult task as he suddenly found he wanted to drain the pathetic man in front of him. However, he still leaned into his victim's ear and whispered darkly. "You understand that your life is in my hands now, John? I promise you will die if you won't tell me the truth?"

"All right, all right." squeaked John, but he could get nothing more out because his lungs were begging for air.

Carlisle dropped him, but still kept a firm grip on his shoulders. "Tell me everything, leave nothing out."

"This, this guy came to me a few weeks ago. He said that he wanted me to watch you and report on your rounds here, who you treated, who you talked with. I couldn't turn him down; I have debts to pay off. And he made it sound like if I didn't do what he asked, he would kill me or something. So I did. I told him all about-"

"Did you tell him that I examined Beth Turner?" said Carlisle. John gulped at the undisguised malice in Carlisle's voice and nodded. "And what do know about the last phone call you made?"

"Well, I saw that you were talking with that woman, and Henri only asked me if she left right after these got a phone call, and I said yes. I didn't mean any harm, honest, Carlisle, please."

Carlisle growled yet again and back handed John viciously across the face. He grabbed him the shirt collar and pushed him down on one of the counters in the lab. "Do you have any idea what you have done, John?" He roared, angrily, "Because of your machinations, an innocent woman might be dying at this moment. And if she is gone, I swear to you John that you will beg for mercy before I am done with you!"

"Carlisle, please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything. Please, just let me live."

Carlisle closed his eyes. For a brief second, his eyes were silver behind their lids, and his fangs burned, wanting to tear the throat from the human in front of him. But he tried to gain control of himself. He had to remember who he was. He would not kill, not unless they deserved it. And as bad as the thing that John had done, he had been a pawn in another's schemes. He did not deserver death, not at least, at his hands. When he opened his eyes, they were still blue. But they were the color of ice. He threw John to the ground and said, "You will not be getting a job in any California hospital after this, John. I guarantee that. And only pray that I find her alive. Because if I don't, you will be the first to pay."

* * *

With that, he turned and began to run. He knew where she had gone, 919 Fagaroura. He had to be fast. For a moment, Carlisle saw his future, and if he didn't have Amanda to share it with, he might as well give it all up now.

By the time Carlisle arrived at the address of 919 Figaroura, his worst fears were confirmed. Whatever Henri had hoped to gain by luring in Amanda, he had been sure that she would not walk away alive. One side of the warehouse was in flames, and the blaze was spreading quickly. Horror flooded through him at the realization that Amanda must be somewhere in the flames, perhaps already dead. Had he come too late?

But his attention was drawn from that when he saw a group of vampires nearly one hundred feet from the fire. Carlisle sneaked over, hiding behind a dumpster that was a safe distance from the fire. He was not worried about them smelling him. The fire was enough to mask his scent for a short while, and that was all the time he would need. The roar of the flames prevented him from hearing what was going on, but his eyes told him all he needed to see.

There were three vampires, stationed around two cars. One of the vampires was a female, who was dressed in the uniform of a Cleaner. Carlisle wondered if that was Tina Ferris, the one who had put in the call to Amanda in the first place. If that was the case, then she must be working with his brother.

They seemed to be discussing something in earnest. But after a few minutes, the woman who Carlisle assumed to be Tina got into her van and drove off. The other two seemed to be preparing to leave and Carlisle knew that he could not afford to wait any longer. Luckily, he had had a gun loaded with silver in his car. One never knew when a side arm could come in handy, particularly for a vampire of suspicion such as himself.

He stepped forward from behind the dumpster, took aim and fired. The silver bullet from his gun flew through the air and struck one of the vampires in the head. He dropped like a stone, and before the other could run or was even aware of where the bullet had come from. Carlisle had covered the space between them in a single leap, tackling the single survivor to the ground. His rage had been unleashed once more, and this time, he would not be showing mercy. He had already killed one of those responsible and he would be doing the same with this one, right after he got what he wanted out of them.

He recognized this vampire he was pinning beneath him: Gaston, one of his brother's cohorts. "Gaston," he growled, "it has been far too long."

"Carlisle, Henri said you would be coming here."

"Than he must know me better than even I thought." He shoved the barrel of the gun under Gaston's chin, "Where is she, Gaston? The woman that you lured to this location?"

"She's in the warehouse, Carlisle, where else would she be?"

Growling coldly, Carlisle shifted the aim of his gun and fired silver into Gaston's shoulder, which caused him to cry out in pain. "I can kill you slowly or quickly, Gaston, it's your choice. Where is she? What did you do with her?"

Gaston seemed to hesitate, but Carlisle was clearly not lying, "She's on the south side, near the entrance. But you're too late. She's nothing but ash right now. Then you'll have the pleasure of telling Josef Koston how you caused the death of one LA's Cleaners."

"And you'll be meeting with the devil to know what punishments await you after three hundred years of doing nothing but evil." Snarled Carlilse. Stung by Gaston's mocks, he had decided that simply shooting a round of silver into his brain wasn't good enough. He sank his fangs into Gaston's throat and proceeded to tear the head from his shoulders. Gaston screamed in a high thin wail, before becoming chillingly silent.

Carlisle paid the two bodies no heed. His mind had become focused on only one thing, finding Amanda before it was too late. He raced to the south side of the warehouse. The flames were not as high or fierce here, but they soon would be spreading. Already the heat was approaching that of a great furnace, and the wind was whipping the heated sparks in Carlisle's direction. The searing flames would have been enough to make anyone balk, but Carlisle didn't notice the flames or the heat. He did not hear his natural instinct which told him to avoid fire beyond anything else, being the most deadly element to vampires that there was. He did not care what happened to him; all that mattered was that Amanda was alive. If she wasn't, well then, he would simply let the flames take him.

He went into the flaming warehouse without hesitation. Inside, it was even worse than he had at first thought. The smoke was so thick he could hardly breathe without coughing. He could see nothing but angry yellow-red flames and the black shadow of the smoke. He tried to take what breath he could, but there was nothing to indicate where she might be.

"Amanda!" He called repeatedly, each time met with silence and each time his cries grew more and more desperate. "Amanda, if you can hear me, answer me. Where are you? Amanda?" All the while his desperation was mounting. Amanda couldn't leave him like this, she couldn't die.

The minutes passed, they felt like hours. The heat was nearly unbearable by this point. His time was running short. But just when he was about to give up all hope, he saw something in the flames, smelled something other than the clinging smoke. Hope flared inside of him, and he dashed over to the body. Sure enough, there was Amanda, staked and thrown to the ground, left to be roasted by the flames like a common animal.

He hurriedly knelt beside her. "Amanda, it's me, Carlisle. Everything will be all right now, I promise you." He took her in his arms and turned her over. He saw that her eyes were open and they filled with recognition and relief when she saw him. He took hold of the stake and pulled it out.

The first thing out of her mouth was an anguished scream, "Carlisle, my shoulder!"

Carlisle saw that the wooden stake was not the only piece of wood which she had been stabbed with. A smoldering spar of wood had been struck into her shoulder, most likely from a falling piece of debris. Carlisle grabbed hold of it and pulled it out, wincing slightly as the wood seared his own skin. Amanda gasped in pain as the wood spar was removed, and at the continued discomfort of the burns which the wood had left.

"Amanda, can you stand?"

"Yes, I think so." Hissed Amanda, her pain still evident.

Hurriedly, Carlisle helped her to her feet. Despite her protestation, the heat from the fire had weakened her, and she still needed Carlisle's help to get out of the burning warehouse.

They managed to get out not a moment to soon. Almost the moment they got to Carlisle's car, there was a loud explosion behind them, the force of which knocked them hard against Carlisle's car. The flames within the warehouse must have found some sort of flammable materiel and the explosion fed the flames, causing the entire edifice to collapse into a blazing inferno. Had either of them stayed in there one moment longer, they both would have died.

Carlisle helped Amanda into the passenger seat before rushing over to the driver's side and getting in. he started the engine and pulled away from the warehouse. Once they were a safe distance from the warehouse, he pulled over to the side of the road, and turned his attention to Amanda. Her face was covered with ash and her hair had come undone from her tight pony tail and was streaked with black. She was still in terrible pain, because of the fact that the wounds left from the burning wood had not healed.

"How come they're not healing?" She asked, almost worried.

"They won't," said Carlisle, as he looked at her shoulder quickly, "Not until we get all the wood out."

"What does the wood have to do with it?"

"Wood which happens to be on fire continues to smolder in the flesh of vampires." Carlisle explained, "There must still be a few pieces in your body that I'll have to get out once we get back to my house."

"Your house?"

"Yes, you said you were going to spend the weekend with me. This is the perfect opportunity to do that, you'll need at least a few days to recover from this ordeal." Despite the lightness in his tone, Amanda saw that the prospect of almost having lost her had affected him deeply. She did not know which he might be feeling more, the relief that she was safe or the fear of almost having lost her. But she also something else, as well, something that surprised her: guilt and bitter self-reproach. It was these which were now coloring his words and which came out even more in his next words. "What's more, someone is trying to kill you. You'll be safer for now if he thinks you have succeeded. I don't want him trying to pick up your trail again."

"What are you talking about when you say he? Tina did this to me. She was waiting with a stake and everything. I didn't even have time to defend myself. I know that she disliked, but I didn't know she was willing to resort to murder in order to gain more power."

"I'm afraid that you have more to worry about then simply that, Amanda." said Carlisle, "Tina might have been the one directly responsible for this, but there is another pulling the strings. My brother, Henri, is here in LA. I don't know why he wanted to kill you, but I don't care. You're under my protection for now, and I won't let anything else happen to you, I promise."

* * *

Please read and review. Also, the people have spoken. Viva Las Vegas, my new Moonlight story will hopefully be coming up next month. I have already started working on it, and I am really looking forward to seeing what you think. Don't worry, there is still a lot to come in this story, so stay tuned.

Next chapter: Carlisle and Amanda must come to terms with what has happened. And when Karlie and Beth confront Guillermo, they will find themselves one step closer to the truth.


	23. Terms of the Heart

Terms of the Heart:

It didn't take long for Carlisle to reach his house. He had to break the speed limit in order to do so, but he didn't seem to care. He was face was dead-set and grim, as though he were brooding deeply about something. The feeling of guilt which Amanda had sensed him at the fire had not seemed to diminish, but rather seemed to be growing more prevalent. Not even the pain in her shoulder could keep her from not noticing it. she wished that Carlisle would open up to her a little bit more, but Carlisle was giving off clear signs that he would rather not talk until they got back to his house.

Once they got there, Carlisle helped her into the house, and led her into the kitchen. "Sit down." He said, indicating one of the chairs around the dining room table, "This shouldn't take to long. Operating on vampires is much simpler than operating on humans." He paused for a moment, before saying; "I suppose you would think I was hopelessly flirting with you if I asked you to remove your clothing so that I can get at your shoulder."

"Don't tell me that wasn't part of your plans in the first place." said Amanda, trying to lighten his mood.

It seemed to help only a little. Carlisle attempted to smile, but the expression didn't quite work and it didn't reach his eyes. "Trust me; this wasn't the way I wanted to get you out of your clothes."

Amanda managed to expose her shoulder enough to see the burns, and winced slightly. The wounds were red and raw. It felt like there were still at least two pieces of wood underneath her skin, and that was what causing her discomfort.

Carlisle came over, and Amanda tried not to wince when she saw the scalpel and forceps in his hand. "I sure hope you know what you're doing with those things."

"Trust me; I have operated on patients far more injured than you, in conditions worse than this. Just be grateful that you will heal almost immediately once I get those wood fragments out of you. If you were human, you would be looking at a few weeks of bed rest."

Carlisle carefully examined the burns on Amanda's shoulder. His hands were experienced, and it took him only a few seconds to find what he was looking for. "Just as I thought, there are two broken pieces of wood under your skin. They're probably still inflamed. That's why you can still feel them."

"And why should they still be affecting me when I can get shot with multiple rounds and not feel them?"

"Has to do with vampire physiology. Wooden stakes paralyze us, though I haven't yet been able to find out why. And any type of wooden stake can have an adverse affect if it stays in to long. Most vampires wouldn't notice it since they would remove it right away. But burning wood, well, that's a different story. The combination of wood and fire is one of the few things that need to be treated as soon as possible. Something in our blood stream keeps the fire from going out. What you've got under your skin are essentially two smoldering matches, and they're in the process of slowly burning away your tissues."

Amanda looked at him, "Is this what you tell your patients when you're treating them? I thought you would have a better bed side manner."

"Well, you did ask. Don't worry, though, they shouldn't be in there long enough to cause permanent damage." He took one of the scalpels and said, "Now, try to be still, this might hurt a little."

Carefully, Carlisle cut into skin. Amanda hissed in pain and closed her eyes. At first, she was so distracted by her discomfort, that she didn't notice the warm weight which had settled on her knee. Until, she heard a whine of sympathy, looked down and saw that Felix had somehow slipped into the kitchen without either of them being aware of it. Amanda was surprised. Felix had been nothing but leery of her ever since they had met, but now he was looking at her with eyes that seemed to be filled with concern. Carlisle made another incision and Amanda hissed once more in pain. Felix whined again and licked her hand comfortingly. Strange, but having him there almost made her feel better, even if it didn't take away the pain.

"It seems that Felix has finally warmed up to you." said Carlisle, as he began to remove the last piece of burning wood. "I knew it would happen eventually. If his presence doesn't bother you, let him stay. It's a proven fact that animals help humans recover faster. It should work with vampires, too."

It took a few more minutes, that seemed much longer in Amanda's mind, but at last Carlisle extracted the last of the wood, and Amanda felt her skin closing over her wounds. This time, there was no linger sense of burning under her skin.

"That should take care of any problems." Said Carlisle, "You'll need blood, though, and at least twenty-four hours of rest before you'll be at your full strength again. I think that you'll have to use my freezer."

"I don't want to be a burden to you, Carlisle." Said Amanda, as she got her feet. Carlisle had taken the instruments which he had used on Amanda and was washing them at the sink. His back was to her, but she still could see the tension in his shoulders, and the guilt in his voice that seemed to have become more and more pronounced ever since he ha rescued her.

"You're never a burden to me, Amanda. In fact, you're…" He paused, almost as if he were reluctant to say the next words, "You're what makes me want to face life." His voice was so soft that a human ear wouldn't have been able to hear them. Amanda herself was not sure what to say to those words. It seemed as though Carlisle had shut down. She wouldn't be getting anything more out of him just yet. She would have to wait, but she did not like having to do such a thing, when she wanted so desperately to help him.

"Do you mind if I freshen up?" She asked, at last, "I'm sure that I don't smell all that great and I must look like even worse."

"The bathroom's upstairs, second door on the left." His back was still to her, and it sounded as though he were trying to keep some extreme emotion under control.

Carlisle did not mean to come across his cold. He could not help himself. The guilt which Amanda was sensing from him did not even begin to describe the things which he was feeling. All he could remember about the last few hours was the terror which had filled him when he had thought that Amanda was forever lost to him. He had never realized the vastness of eternity alone until tonight. His own life he had never feared for, but Amanda's was another matter. Tonight, his life had not been threatened. He should have foreseen that, one day, his reluctance to speak the truth would eventually ensnare others. But blindly he had forged ahead, and he had come to close to paying the ultimate price. This was all his fault and he did not know if he would be able to prevent another attempt on Amanda's life. He had never felt so powerless.

Mechanically and without much thought beyond this, Carlisle finished cleaning and putting away his instruments. He then went out to his car and retrieved the clothes which Amanda had put there before her ill-fated rendezvous with Tina Ferris. He had brought her bag up the stairs and into his room. But no sooner had he placed the bag on the floor beside the bed, then the door which led from his room to the bath room opened and there stood Tina wrapped in a towel. It was something of a surprise for both of them, but the moment that Carlisle laid eyes on her; he couldn't tear his gaze away. It was almost like the first time that he had seen her all those years ago, the owner of a saloon in the mountains of Colorado. She was the only one who had ever believed in him from the start, the only one he had ever truly been able to trust with everything and his heart. He had not realized how dear Amanda's life was to him until he had come close to losing it forever. He had never known that he loved her enough to never want to have to face forever without her again.

Amanda, for her own, saw the look in his eyes, a look the likes of which she had never seen before. It was a look which heartbreakingly tender, and yet seemed to consume her with a hunger that none but she could satisfy. "Carlisle, is everything all right?" She came forward and put her hands on his shoulders. "Something is bothering you. Please, don't shut me out. Let me help you."

The nearness of her, her touch, her scent, caused Carlisle's control to break. He could not answer directly, but suddenly gripped Amanda around the waist, and pressed his mouth to hers, claiming them in a fierce kiss. Amanda felt herself being pushed up against the back wall, all the while, Carlisle kissing her with what could only be called a desperate passion. Amanda felt herself her sense becoming inflamed, Carlisle still that effect on her. But even now, Amanda couldn't help the feeling that something was not quite right, and it turned out to be true, when she thought she tasted the bitter salt of tears that she were not her own.

She managed to break away from Carlisle's embrace and saw that he was actually crying. The intense emotions of the past few hours had finally overpowered him. The look in his eyes as he stared at Amanda was filled with desperation, such as she had never seen in him before. "Carlisle, what is it?"

Carlisle didn't answer right away. He turned away and walked a few steps away. When he spoke, he still wasn't able to face her. "Amanda, I almost lost you."

"Carlisle, you saved me. This wasn't your fault."

At last, Carlisle turned to face her. "Oh, but it is, Amanda. All of this is my fault, all of it. I've never bothered to think of what the consequences my silence would have on others. I was only ever concerned with looking out for myself. I always used to pride myself on the fact that I was not self-seeking like the rest of my family, but it turns out that I am the worst of them all." The outburst had exhausted what little control he had left. He sank to the floor and gave vent to his emotions.

A man who weeps should never be scorned. His is the heart which feels the most and such a quality is more to be commended than sneered at. Carlisle himself had been through more trials than even Amanda herself had been aware of. She was seeing more than three hundred years of pent-up emotion in his tears tears which he could only now let loose, because he trusted her so absolutely. But, that trust would have meant nothing if she did not try to comfort him.

She came forward, knelt beside him and put her arms around him. He clung to her, as though she were the only thing standing between him and a life of misery, which to be quite frank, she was. She said nothing for several minutes; Carlisle needed wordless assurance rather than spoken promise now.

After a time, he finally managed to get control of himself once more. However, he still held onto her as though he could never let her go. Amanda now spoke. "Carlisle, I don't believe any of those things you said. You are the least selfish person that I know. You have only ever done what you thought you had too. You couldn't have predicted this."

"But perhaps I should have. It does not alter the fact that I nearly was torn from you forever. Amanda, I was never afraid of death until tonight. I was never afraid to face forever. But tonight, I feared it more than anything." He looked deeply into her eyes, and said, in a voice that came straight from his heart. "Amanda, I didn't realize until tonight how much I loved you."

Amanda looked at him for a moment in slight surprise. "You love me? You've never said that to me before. Every day I've been with you, you always implied it; it was in everything you did. But you never put it into words."

"I should have told you every day, every hour, for you deserved no less, and I know that my feelings for you were far deeper than even I wanted to admit. But I thought it was because I loved you that I couldn't tell you in words. I couldn't risk being with you, knowing that it might one day put in harm's way. But, I somehow knew, that even if I could not be with you, if you were alive, I could keep on going." He laughed bitterly, "Much good that did. Despite my efforts, I can't keep away from you. And all my best efforts weren't enough to protect you." He looked away from her once again. "I don't deserve you, Amanda. I never have and after tonight, I don't know if I ever will."

Amanda put one hand on his cheek and turned him so that they were looking straight into each other's eyes. "You honestly think that I've one hundred years for you to tell me that you love me to hear you say that? Carlisle, what makes you think that I deserve you anymore than you deserve me? But, that doesn't stop the way I feel about you. I love you, Carlisle. I've loved you ever since you told me who you were, ever since you trusted me with the truth."

Carlisle closed his eyes, as though part of a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Knowing that Amanda returned his feelings made him feel more at peace with himself. But he still couldn't help but feel that he had wasted so many years. "Amanda, when I saw you for the first time in 1856, I felt at home for the first time decades. With you, I felt hope, safe. Over the years, even at my loneliest, all I had to do was think of you, and I would feel the same things however fleetingly. I can't lose that again, never."

"You won't." promised Amanda. She saw that Carlisle was still not completely at ease. She put her arms around him once more and held him close. "What can I do?"

Carlisle inhaled her scent and pulled her closer to him. They both were beginning to feel a desire and a need stealing upon them. Not a hot wave of passion that needed to be satisfied at once, rather a quietly desperate need. They didn't want to feel alone that night; they needed to be with each other. "Be here, Amanda." said Carlisle, "Stay with me, don't leave me. I will not ask for anything more."

* * *

Please read and review. I love hearing what you think.

Next chapter: Catching up with the rest of our heroes, but all is not well. Disagreements about the best way to proceed are threatening to separate them. Memories that have long been forgotten are about to brought to light and a confrontation will bring Beth and Karlie one step closer to the truth.


	24. Crossroads

Crossroads:

Karlie Dashwood had certainly had better nights than the one she had currently been having. She might have gone so far as to say she had had better days. Considering that she spent most days asleep, that was saying something. Even if there weren't normally many people at Dashwood's when she was present, Travis happened to be there that evening. He had known Karlie long enough to recognize when she was in a foul frame of mind. He was also one of the few who could approach her during such times.

Travis Demont was one of Karlie's best designers (and the often times tiresome question asked over and over again had the same answer every time: he was not gay, he just happened to be in the clothing business, and he couldn't see why a straight man couldn't design clothes as well as anyone else). He also happened to serve as her link to the outside human world. He was one of the few who knew her secret, and as such, he occupied a very important position. He was also Karlie's friend, and he had somewhat her to thank for his present personal situation. Karlie (always something of a matchmaker in her off time) had been responsible for Travis meeting Simone Bryant, a lawyer who served much in the same capacity for Josef as Travis did for Karlie. They had been dating seriously for the past two years, and Karlie wouldn't have been surprised if she heard them taking the next step fairly soon.

When Karlie stormed into the office at 9:30 at night, Travis, who had been staying late the past few weeks due to the fact a major collection, was premièring in San Francisco and he was in charge of the details, could not help but hear her. Waiting a few minutes for her to settle down, he got up from his desk and went across the hallway to Karlie's office. He didn't bother to knock, but came in and said, "Evening, Karlie. I wasn't expecting to see you here for the next few days." Travis didn't know all the complete details of the crisis which was happening, but Karlie had told him that urgent personal business would be keeping her from the office for awhile. Travis could only interpret that as something serious in the vampire community itself.

Karlie looked up. Her dark brown eyes were still smoldering from temper and her stance was unusually stiff and tense. "That was right, but I felt a need to come in and try to get some work done."

"What did you and Josef fight about?"

"How do you know we fought?"

"Because whenever Simone and I have a major argument, I come here to try and blow off some steam and calm down. She does the same thing. We're both workaholics and after spending a little time apart working on something that's unrelated to the argument, we tend to feel better. Works every time."

"Well, I hope it will work with Josef and I. We don't normally fight, but when we do, we tend to hold grudges for a bit longer than a few hours. I think the last time we went a full week without saying anything more than common pleasantries to each other."

"Well, I hope that you work it out soon. Judging by the rumors I've been hearing, you two need to be together more than ever now. I'm right across the hall if you want to talk."

"Thank you, Travis."

Karlie did not get to enjoy her solitude for long. A few minutes later, she smelled Beth approaching the room, and braced herself for the worst. Sure enough, Beth came into the room, and she looked just as annoyed and frustrated as Karlie about the whole situation, which Karlie guessed wasn't much different from her own. "You too?" She asked, without preamble.

Beth stopped, and looked at her surprise. "Josef didn't listen to you?"

"Would I be here if he weren't?"

Beth sighed heavily and dropped into a nearby chair. "Mick wouldn't even let me get half way through the story. I just said that I had doubts about Carlisle's guilt and he refused to listen to anymore of it."

"Josef was the same way. He said that he had never known anything good to come out of the Duvall line and that Carlisle's silence had condemned him. He had seen the Duvalls in action firsthand and given the fact that I didn't have any real experience dealing with them, I had no right to judge in the matter."

"He said that?" said Beth, who was evidently shocked. "That seems so unlike him."

Karlie shook her head, regretfully and sadly. "It is. But it's also unlike me to call him an arrogant jerk. It's one of the risks that we have with our bond. When we get angry with each other, it can lead to some pretty ugly scenes. I won't repeat half of what we said to each other."

"Didn't Frederic have anything to say? I think he respects you to take your part, or at least listen."

"I'm sure he would have if he were in the room. I made the mistake of talking to Josef alone first, and by the time I thought about Frederic, I was to angry, I didn't want to talk to another male vampire, particularly one who had such close ties to Josef."

"Well, a fine pair of investigators we make." Said Beth, "We have proof, but no one will listen to us. We're still no closer to any definite answers, and still I think we're both convinced that Carlisle is innocent somehow."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. I was hoping that last night's incident hadn't set you against Carlisle at all."

"No, it really hasn't. I mean, he has some major explaining to do. The evidence against him looks pretty damning. Mick said that the fire from the warehouse was so bad, that it erased any definite things he could see, but he did positively smell both Amanda and Carlisle, in close proximity."

"That alone might be enough for them to move against Carlisle, and I have the uneasy feeling they might do so soon. There has to be some explanation, something we're missing. I'm actually glad you stopped by; because I think we may have found our missing link. Are you willing to risk a bit more investigation, Beth?"

Beth nodded, without hesitation. "I've come this far and I'm still convinced. I have to see this through to some sort of conclusion. An innocent life could be riding on our efforts and I couldn't live with myself if we tried everything to save him."

Karlie smiled for the first time that evening. Beth never filled to impress her. A lot of other people would have given up, but Beth just seemed all the more determined to see the rightness of her cause. "Remember what I told you about tracking down someone who was sired by Carlisle?"

"Yes, did you manage to find someone we can talk too."

"Oh, yes, and it surprised even me. I think we should pay him a visit. He should be on duty now, at the city morgue."

* * *

Mick St. John was probably having no greater evening than Beth or Karlie. Almost as soon as Beth had stormed out of the apartment, he had immediately wanted to run after her and apologize. He regretted the stupid things he had said, and wished that he could take them back. Unfortunately, Beth was long gone and he would have to wait for her to come back.

He still could not get over what she had attempted to say to him. All he had heard was Carlisle Duvall might not be as bad as you think he is, and he had immediately gone on the defensive. He hadn't even really listened to her evidence, merely stated that Carlisle was Coraline's brother and he could therefore never be trusted. If only Beth understood what he had suffered at the hands of the French bloodline she would understand that he should be reluctant to trust them.

Beth had been insulted by the remark and had shot back that Coraline had nearly killed her, so she didn't have anymore reason to like the Duvalls either. And yet, she believed Carlisle to be innocent. This wasn't Mick's sense talking, it was only his prejudice. If he was such a sensible PI, he should be willing to look at alternative ideas, not stick relentlessly to one, especially one which might lead to potential disaster.

And so on and so forth, until Beth had finally got fed up and stormed out of the apartment. Mick was left standing helplessly on his own for several minutes, rather unsure how to proceed. The accusation which Beth had told him gradually began the one thing which he could hear in his mind. It was true, he was a private investigator, and the last time he had become fixated on only one thing that had led to disaster. Granted he had been right that Coraline had been reborn as a human, but maybe if he had proceeded in a slower and calmer fashion, it would have been less painful for everyone involved.

And Beth was a good reporter, and had gotten even better now that she was in school and already starting to get noticed by serious journalists. He needed to respect those talents and at least listen to her evidence with an open mind.

It had been in this sprit of contrition that Mick had begun to look over some of the documents which Beth had never gotten around to showing him, about the history of Carlisle Duvall. He had come to it with no idea of finding Carlisle innocent. He may have wanted to respect Beth's skills as a reporter, but he was not even sure that she could reverse what he had thought to be ingrained in stone. However, as he read more of the stories and references which she had found to Carlisle and his various personalities over the years, he found that his opinion was slowly but surely starting to change.

The things which he read of Carlisle doing were simply not those of a mind twisted by wrath and vengeance. But it was not until he got to the information about Carlisle's involvement in World War II that memories long buried of that time he had spent in war began to emerge. And in those memories, one face began to appear more and more, the face he had only seen once more before.

It had been a time of intense conflict and war. The Nazis and their allies were marching across Europe, spreading chaos, destruction and death wherever they went. Mick had been part of a battalion that frequently found itself involved in skirmishes along battle lines that were never clearly drawn but changed every day. For days on end, there could be nothing, but than, with seemingly no warning whatsoever, there could follow days of brutal and intense fighting.

It had been long when Mick had arrived in France that he had met Lieutenant David Clarkson. Under fire from German battalions, he had been trying to save the life of one of his fellow soldiers, but he was running into difficulties. He hadn't been sure if he would have been able to do it, when he suddenly heard a voice, "Need some help there, St. John?"

He had looked up to see the face of battalion's new doctor. Almost immediately, what had struck him about the face was the kindness and gentleness which he saw in those blue eyes. "Yeah, I do, Clarkson. He's been hit with two rounds, and I can't find all the shrapnel."

"Do you think he can be saved?"

"Yes, I do."

"Than we'll save him." He had said those words as if were the most logical thing in the world, and as if he really believed them. And together, the two of them had managed to save the soldiers' life. That had been what had made Mick respect Lieutenant Clarkson.

He had not noticed anything in Clarkson's behavior back then to make him think that he was a vampire, but then again he hadn't known what to look for. All he had seen was that David always did his best to save as many as he could. He was brave and selfless. Sometimes, he had almost come close to breaking regulations in order to do so, but for him, saving a life had always been more important than any military glory.

He had been the one, during those hellish months of the Battle of the Bulge that had cut off the leg of one of his friends. He had been the only one who would have been able to make it succeed. It had been only a few short days later when, under attack from German forces, he had gone out to save three injured soldiers from certain death. He had said that there was one more, and despite all objections, he went out again. There had been an explosion and a blinding flash of light. Afterwards, they had found no sign of his body, except for his dog tags. Now, Mick believed that he understood why.

All these memories of so many different events seemed to come upon Mick all at once. In a moment, he lived in detail an entire two years of his human life, when every day had been a struggle to survive and he had only ever had his friends for support. And chief amongst those friends, the one they had all looked too for guidance and comfort, had been a humble, unknown doctor from Tennessee. Lieutenant David Clarkson, who now stood before him as Carlisle Duvall.

This realization was the turning point of Mick's convictions. David Clarkson had been the last person to ever hurt anyone. He had risked his life more than once to save others' lives. In war, he had been surrounded by blood every day, and though Mick couldn't think how he would have gotten what he needed to survive, yet he just couldn't imagine that he had taken it by ill means. But what other vampire would have been able to resist the temptation?

Now, at last, Mick began to understand what Beth had been trying to tell him. there had to be more to the story. And Mick wondered if it were perhaps not time that Carlisle had a chance to make his defense. It was true that he had never refuted the accusations, but than again, maybe he had never had the chance.

However, time was running short. He had heard from Josef that some time in the next few nights, they would be moving against Carlisle to take him into custody. Mick could not be sure if Carlise would try to escape again if he felt geninuely threatened. If that was the case, the cycle of silence and misunderstanding would only create more suffering and pain. there could be telling what would happen. No, somehow Mick knew that it had to end here.

* * *

Guillermo had not been expecting any visitors. Most of the time, working the night shift at LA County Morgue, things were pretty quiet. Not much of a surprise considering that Guillermo's line of work involved dead bodies. However, if he had thought anyone would be dropping by, he certainly had never expected Beth Turner and Karlie Dashwood.

He was just coming out of an examination room, when he almost ran into the two of them. "Karlie, Beth, what are you doing here?"

"We were just wondering if your contact had found out anything about that compound which is effecting with our memories." Said Karlie.

"And it might be best for whoever they are to do it quickly." Said Beth, "There was an assault on Mick's apartment last night. If he could remember anything about what happened, it would be a big help."

Guillermo shifted nervously. There was something about this that set him ill at east. He wasn't sure that this was simply a straightforward inquiry. "Like I told Josef a few days ago, it's taking him awhile to find something. But he should have something soon."

The next words out of Karlie's mouth were a complete surprise. "Carlisle Duvall had better move faster. He is a suspect, and I fear that the life of your sire may be in grave danger."

Guillermo was so shocked that for a moment he could only stare at the two of them in open-mouthed shock. "What makes you think-"

"Don't play the innocent with me, Guillermo. There is no time for that. I saw the medical records from the hospital in 1876 in New Mexico. The mentioned a doctor by the name of Luke Duvall, and a patient by the name of Guillermo Montez who died from cholera. Around that same time, Luke and a man by the name of Ramon Montez disappeared from the scene and were never heard from again. I'd have to say that all that is something more than coincidence."

Guillermo knew that it would be useless to try and deny any of it. However, he was not going to betray his sire easily, even if it was against someone like Karlie. "What do you want to know about him? And why?"

"We want to help him." said Beth, "We have reason to believe that he is not responsible for the things that others say he has done. We want to try and make Mick and Josef see the same thing. But you have to help us, Guillermo, before it's too late."

Guillermo hesitated, but he saw honesty in their eyes, so at last he nodded and said, "I think we should talk about this in private."

He led them down the hallway to a room which served as a sort of employee break area. There was no one there at this time of night. They sat down at a table and Guillermo began. "The first thing that you need to know, Carlisle is innocent."

"Of what exactly?" asked Karlie.

"Of everything. He never betrayed his sire or his family and he's not a murderer. He's something of a do gooder actually, kind of like Mick. I actually think that they have a lot in common, if they were ever to meet face to face."

Beth and Karlie looked at each other. This was certainly already an interesting turn of events. This was the first time that they had ever heard a definite refutation of the charges laid at Carlisle's door. "I think that the best place to start would be to ask how Carlisle turned you. Did you actually ask yourself?"

"No, I mean, not really. But before you start getting the wrong idea of him as a sire, let me remind you that I was pretty much comatose at the time. I was out of it, and almost dead. It was my brother Ramon who asked Carlisle to turn me."

"Your brother?" said Beth.

"Yeah, my brother. We're twins see, our mother died giving birth to us and our father passed away when we were only five years old. All we had each other. So when I came down with cholera, Ramon was willing to do anything it took to keep me alive, even if it meant turning me into the undead. He had known that Carlisle was different from the other doctors almost at once. Carlisle always worked at night, he never ate anything, and he tried to stay distant from the other humans working on the patients. But he was the most dedicated physician of them all. The way Ramon tells it, once he found out that Carlisle was a vampire, he pretty much begged him to turn me."

"Didn't he know what he was getting into?" asked Karlie.

"I'm not sure if he did. Carlisle was reluctant to do it; in fact, he flat out refused at first. But Ramon kept on persisting, even after he understood the consequences. Even when Carlisle told him about what it would mean to be a vampire, he still insisted that it was better than letting me just die. He told Carlisle that he had to try, since I was going to die anyway."

"What made Carlisle finally decide to turn you?" asked Beth.

"According to Carlisle, what finally changed his mind was when he saw and understood how much the two of us cared for and relied on each other. He told me after the fact that he had never experienced that with his own family. He had wanted to preserve that kind of harmony, even if he himself couldn't experience it. So, he turned me. I may not have asked for it directly, but I can tell you that Carlisle was the best sire. He's probably the only reason why I've never killed anyone in order to feed. He taught me self restraint and to value human life. The only humans I harvest from are already dead, and their blood would be wasted anyway."

"What happened to your brother?" asked Beth, "It's all good and well asking for you to be turned, but he didn't he know that he would never be able to see you again if you were turned?"

"That wasn't much of an issue. My brother is also a vampire. When I was out of the fledgling stage and could survive on my own, Carlisle turned Ramon as well. He's still alive and thriving, living out in Las Vegas working the blood circuits there. Neither of us has ever regretted our decision to be turned, though it took place in kind of strange circumstances. We wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, and we would be the first to uphold Carlisle's reputation, if only he would have let us."

"Well, that does lead to the obvious question," said Karlie, "why has Carlisle never come forth with the truth?"

Guillermo seemed to consider his words carefully before answering. "In all honesty, the one flaw that Carlisle has is a desire to not create conflict. He doesn't like violence and he never has. Doesn't mean he won't fight when he feels he has to for a cause he believes in, but he only does so when it's the only choice left. He left France because his presence there was putting his family in danger. Later, the rumors followed him that he was responsible for the death of his sire. But in America, he was safer than in Europe, so he figured it would just be best to let things lie. But I've always believed that there would come a time when he couldn't run anymore."

"I fear that that time may be coming sooner than he thinks." Said Karlie, "There was a fire at a downtown warehouse last night. Amanda Greyson is believed to have died in the blaze and Josef and Mick have some pretty strong evidence that it was Carlisle who was responsible."

Guillermo looked utterly appalled at the suggestion. "That's impossible. He would never do anything to hurt Amanda; he's in love with her."

Now it was Beth and Karlie's turn to be surprised. "You mean that Amanda was seeing Carlisle?" said Beth.

"Yes, and she's the only one I know of who he's ever been serious about. Carlisle would never hurt anyone that he considers close to him. And I think Amanda is the most special person to ever cross his path."

"Regardless, Josef and Mick think he is to blame. And I think that they might be planning something for either tonight or tomorrow." Said Karlie, "We've tried once to make them listen to us, but it hasn't worked. Guillermo, would you be willing to tell Josef the truth about Carlisle? It would be the only chance to save him."

Guillermo did not need any time to make his decisions. "Carlisle once warned Ramon and I not to tell anyone who his sire was. He knew there was a good chance he could put us in danger. But I for one would be willing to stand up for him, regardless of what he thinks. This is one time where I can't listen to him. I'll talk to him."

That was a huge relief to both Karlie and Beth. Here at last was the definitive proof that they had been looking for. Josef and Mick wouldn't be able to ignore their suspicions now. "Come to Josef's house at about midnight." Said Karlie, "Beth and I will be there, and hopefully we can prevent a potential catastrophe."

"I'll be there." Said Guillermo, as the three of them got up, "And thank you, you two. You're the first who have ever tried to clear Carlisle's name that I know of. It would be a relief to finally see him given the respect he deserves in the community."

* * *

So, the plot is thickening. Please drop me a review and tell me what you think.

Next chapter: Driven by his conscience, Carlisle decides that it's time to face his past. But when he seeks out the one person who might be willing to give him a fair hearing, he will find that he is not the only person to have such a thought. As the countdown to zero hours commences, Carlisle's true nature will be revealed, and it will be seen that his existence will become inexorably intertwined with those who once thought him to be an enemy.


	25. Zero Hour

Zero Hour:

It was precisely 11:00 at night when Carlisle Duvall stirred and came awake. He was immediately aware of the fact that he was not alone. Held in his arms was the still sleeping form of Amanda. It had been over twenty-four hours since he had rescued her from the warehouse fire, twenty-four hours since he had said that he loved her. Passion and desperation had been a part of that night. In retrospect, they probably shouldn't have engaged in such intense lovemaking when Amanda was technically supposed to be still recovering. On the other hand, neither of them had been all that caring of the proper order of things the night before. They had spent the last twelve hours asleep in his freezer. It had been a little snug, but after waking so many nights alone, Carlisle didn't really mind. He hoped that this was only the beginning.

However, a dark cloud still hung over him, something in his conscience that would not let him be at peace just yet. He traced the skin on her shoulder, where he had removed the pieces of wood from her body. There was no scarring there, but it still served as a bitter reminder to him how closely Amanda had come to meeting her end because of him.

He was beginning to realize that he couldn't hide from his past anymore. It was no longer his life that was at stake. He could not run the risk of losing Amanda again. He knew what he had to do. Moving slowly, so as not to waken Amanda, he slipped out of the freezer.

A few minutes later, he had come downstairs, and was preparing to leave. He had not expected that he would be able to just slip out, and indeed, he smelled Amanda coming down the stairs and heard her say from the doorway of the living room. "Are you going somewhere?"

He turned around to look at her. "Yes, I am. I'm going to Dashwood's."

Amanda raised her eyebrows in frank surprise. "Any particular reason why?"

"Because I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch Karlie Dashwood there, alone. She alone out of the rest involved in this has never been directly hurt by my family's actions. I'm hoping that means she'll be able to give me a fair hearing."

There was a pause and then Amanda said, "You're planning to tell her, aren't you?" Carlisle didn't need to answer. "Why now?"

Carlisle came forward and put his hands on Amanda's shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes he said, "Amanda, I left France in 1791. For over two hundred years now, I have been running. And last night showed me that I was tired of doing that. I have to stop this, here or now."

Amanda knew that Carlisle was right, but she was also aware of the risk that he could be incurring by trying to speak with Karlie. She knew that Karlie was generally a very open person, but there was no telling how he might react to Carlisle, who she couldn't have heard anything good about, and then if Josef happened to catch him there would be no telling what would happen to him. She hugged him tightly, "Please be careful." She whispered in his ear.

"I will be, Amanda. Stay here. You're safest if everyone thinks your dead for the moment, but arm yourself; I don't want any surprises happening in here while I'm gone."

She faced him again and smirked. "I can take care of myself."

"I know that, but I still worry." His eyes shifted to look over her shoulder, where Felix, roused by the activity, had come into the living room from the kitchen. He sat down at Carlisle's house and wagged his tail inquiringly. Carlisle knelt down to scratch the dog behind the ears. "But I'll try not to do that, I know I'm leaving you in good hands. Felix will look after you."

"I feel better already." muttered Amanda.

"I think he's starting to grow on you, Amanda, for all you're not admitting it." He patted Felix one last time and said, "Be good now, Felix. Watch out for Amanda, she'll return the favor." Felix whined, and licked Carlisle on the ear, obviously worried for he could sense that something was going on with his master, and he wanted to try and help. "No, you're not going to talk me out of this, Felix. Just do what you're told and everything will be fine."

He rose and faced Amanda one last time. "I will be back." He promised her, as he kissed her one last time and headed for the door.

Little could he have known that the countdown to zero hour had begun.

* * *

At 11:25, Karlie and Beth arrived back at Dashwood's. They wanted to get the rest of the materiel they had gathered on Carlisle, hoping that this along with Guillermo's testimony would finally convince Josef, Mick and Frederic that they needed to go a different direction.

As they entered the main lobby, Beth was commenting on what had passed at the morgue. "I couldn't believe what you told me about Guillermo was true at first, but it sheds such a good light on Carlisle as a sire." Beth had developed quite a few friends in the vampire community, and she liked Guillermo a great deal. If he did work in a morgue and harvested blood from dead bodies, yet he could be quite personable when he wanted to be.

"Carlisle now has more on his side to defend him." said Karlie, "Maybe, if we can convince Josef and Mick, we might hear the real story from Carlisle's own lips."

"That seems to be the logical next step to me. It only seems fair that Carlisle should have some chance to defend himself."

"Especially since-" Karlie suddenly stopped mid-sentence and froze. She inhaled and a look of worry flashed in her eyes.

"Karlie, what's the matter? What do you smell?"

"A vampire, one that seems familiar." Said Karlie, "But I can't place it. There's only one, though. Go up to my office. That will be the safest place in the building. Stay there until I come up." Beth nodded and started to go towards the elevator, but Karlie asked her, "You have a gun on you?"

Beth turned and looked back at her, "What do you think?" She asked with a smirk.

Karlie grinned back. Making sure that Beth was safely in the elevator, she then turned her attention to the scent she had detected. It was coming from the main show room, and as she moved slowly into the darkened room, she picked up the scent again, stronger than before. Then a shadow darted behind her. She whirled around, her gun out and ready and said, "All right, come out."

There was a moment of silence, than a form stepped out from behind a wrack of clothes, and a voice said, "Karlie Dashwood?"

Karlie nearly dropped a gun in her surprise. "Carlisle Duvall?"

Carlisle stepped into the light, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. "Good guess, Miss Dashwood."

Karlie, despite the fact that the intruder was Carlisle and not someone else, yet still was cautious. She may have been convinced that Carlisle was innocent, but he was still a member of the Duvall line and she had learned to be suspicious of any strange vampire who happened to be in her building in the middle of the night. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you the truth." He stated simply, his hands still upraised to show that he didn't mean any harm. "Would you mind pointing that gun somewhere else? You're starting to make me a little nervous. I've just rediscovered the joy of life, and I would hate to leave it so soon."

"I couldn't kill you with just one shot of silver."

Carlisle shrugged. "The way you're aiming, you could. One shot directly to the heart or between the eyes. That's all it would take. But I would prefer to have my story heard first."

Karlie hesitated only a moment, before she slowly lowered her gun and said, "It's about time that you said that."

"And believe me, it has been too long in coming. I was hoping that you would give me a fair hearing before you decided whether or not to shoot me."

"I think that more people want to think well of you than you might think, Carlisle. Come on, we'll go to my office. We can talk there."

* * *

When Beth first stepped into Karlie's darkened office, she knew almost instantly that there was something wrong. She had been around many vampires in the two years that she and Mick had been together. She had learned to recognize that there was a certain feeling which she had only when she was around vampires. She had become so attuned to it that she could even detect a subtle difference between those who were friendly and those were merely predators, waiting to strike. Now, in the darkness of Karlie's office, she sensed that she had just walked into a lion's den.

She was silent, tense and waiting for any kind of noise which might give away another presence in the room, but all was stillness. She knew that she wouldn't stand a chance against one vampire, let alone several in the dark, and she suspected that perhaps retreating beyond the room might be the safest move for the moment. She drew her gun and started to inch backwards to the door, but she only got a few steps before she ran into something, or someone behind her.

She let out a yelp of surprise, and tried to get past him, but a pair of strong arms caught her from behind and held her firmly in place. The gun was knocked harmlessly from her hand and she was left defenseless. A voice spoke from in front, a voice that was dangerous and beautiful at the same time, a voice that sent chills down her spine. "I really don't think you should have done that, Miss Turner. We have barely gotten to know one another."

The lights suddenly flicked on and Beth found herself face to face with two vampires, plus the one who was holding her from behind. One of them was blond-haired and blue-eyed, but he was not the one whose face her eyes were drawn too, rather it was the vampire who was leaning against Karlie's desk with a mocking smile on his face. She recognized the distinctive features of the Duvall line at once, the dark hair, the tall build and excessive good looks. His eyes, though, were dark green, wild and stormy; mad as the sea and as untamable. She was struck by how much he resembled Carlisle, but it seemed more like his dark twin she was now facing rather than a mirror image.

"Henri Duvall, I'm assuming?" She said, trying to keep up a brave face. She wasn't going to let fear get the better of her.

"Right on the first guess, very impressive, Miss Turner." He said, with obvious sarcasm, "Release her, Adrien, that's no way to treat a woman who is almost a near relation to the family. Besides, I doubt that she will try to escape again."

The hold on her arms was loosened and Beth jerked out the rest of the way. Now that she was freed from restraint, her anger was beginning to overpower her fear. "I'm not your family, not even close." She spat

"Perhaps not in the strict sense. But than against, my sister did turn Mick St. John, and in the time where I came from, liaisons were easier to overlook. In fact, it was sometimes just easier to accept the mistress as part of the family, at least until the interest in her was lost."

Beth bristled at the subtle insult in those words. "Mick loves me. I think I made him far happier than Coraline was ever able to."

"Yes, yes, I heard it all from him when we met the other night."

"So, you're the one who tried to lure him into that trap the other night." Said Beth, as the pieces started fitting together. "That certainly worked out splendidly."

Henri smiled sourly. He walked up to her, too close for comfort and studied with the intense scrutiny on his green eyes. "You have some spirit about you, Miss Turner. No wonder Coraline took such an interest in you all those years ago. I'm not trying to defend her, for it was an ill-thought out plan, for a man who was unworthy of her. However, maybe that was why Mick seems to like you so much, for now, at least." He reached up one hand and ran his cool fingers along the veins in her neck. Beth recoiled in obvious disgust, but Henri had already taken one of her wrists in his hand and inhaled the scent on her blood. "Still so young," he said, almost musingly, "Your blood still tastes fresh to him. But that will change in the next fifteen years. Then I doubt he will find you as tantalizing."

"Mick doesn't treat me like an occasional snack." Said Beth, angrily, "He loves me for who I am, which is more than Coraline was ever able to do for him. She almost destroyed him."

"And you were the one who saved him from a lifetime of misery, yes; I have heard all that before. But if he is so precious to you, why hasn't he turned you? Something so special to him, I would think he would want to keep it in his life forever."

"Not even I know what I want yet. Mick wants the choice to be mine and mine alone. He wants me to have the choice than Coraline never gave him. You think that he wasn't worthy of Coraline. Coraline wasn't worthy of him, and she never will be."

Henri's face twisted into a snarl, and his grip on Beth tightened, so hard that it made her flinch. But before he could say or do anything, a new voice suddenly broke the tense atmosphere. "Henri, let her go."

All eyes turned to the doorway, where stood Karlie and Carlisle. Neither group was exactly thrilled to see the other, for obvious reasons. For a few moments, they sized each other up, looking for a weakness or an opening that could be exploited. Unfortunately, at first glance, it was Henri who had the advantage, as he had Beth in his sights. That being the case, he said with a cold smile, "Carlisle, it has been a very long time. You're looking very well for your age."

Carlisle did not say anything in response to this, but his eyes flared briefly with an emotion that seemed to resemble more pity than anger. However, Karlie had much more to say. Her gun was trained on Henri and her eyes were silvered. "Let Beth go, Duvall. I won't let you hurt her."

"Oh, really Miss Dashwood and tell me, just how do you plan on doing that? After all it would seem that I am the one who is in a position of power here. I have you outnumbered and I have superior fire power. What hope can you be with only one gun?"

No sooner had the words been spoken then a gun shot rang out behind Karlie and the vampire who had been previously holding Beth went down, with a gun shot hole in the back of his head. Everyone turned to look at Carlisle, who was now the one holding the smoking gun. They were all surprised, though for different reasons.

However, it created enough of a distraction for Beth to dart across the room and take up the protection of Karlie. Karlie was relieved, but also turned an admonishing glance at Carlisle.

"I thought that you weren't armed?" said Karlie.

"Sorry if I left that part out, I just assumed that it would be wise to have some sort of back-up, in case things got ugly."

"I am surprised to see with a weapon of any sort." Said Henri, with harsh sarcasm, "The last time I saw you, you seemed willing to swear off violence of any kind."

"I was a marked vampire, brother. I had to leave that philosophy behind me rather rapidly."

"Well, all well and good for you. However, what good do you think it will do you? You can't kill me, Carlisle, however much you might like too."

Carlisle's face again showed signs of pity. It seemed as though over the next few minutes that the conflict in the room was between Carlisle and Henri and that no one else was present. It was a meeting of two brothers, one who felt he had a long-standing feud against the world and the other who had every reason to be suspicious of everyone he met, but who chose to trust instead. They could not have been more different, and it was only seeing them in such close proximity that this difference became so glaringly apparent. Both Karlie and Beth couldn't help believing that if their men had been present, they would have regretted not listening to them.

"I never wanted to kill you, Henri, or any of the others."

"Ah, still the same noble sentiments." Said Henri, "But what has it gotten you? You are nothing but an outcast, never able to fit in anywhere. You are always to have your head down, always hiding who you are. I wonder what Valentin would say if he could see you now? No doubt he would think you a disgrace to the entire bloodline."

"What more would he say of you? You are the one who is trying to kill all of us. I see what you're trying to do, creating all these accidents of misfortune and then blaming them on me. Once Josef kills me, the rest come and a vampire war breaks out, leaving you quietly on the sidelines to watch the entire thing."

"And don't think I won't be watching, and enjoying every moment of it."

"The only thing that I don't understand than is what you will do when the dust has settled? What will you do when you're entire reason for existence has been accomplished?" Henri did not answer, but somehow, the silence spoke volumes for Carlisle. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, "You won't go on living, will you? You'll simply end it all?"

"I cannot expect you to understand my choices, Carlisle. You were always the queer one of the family. You never understood what I had to go through."

"I was turned like you."

"You're turning was nothing like mine." Snarled Henri, the madness in him aroused by this statement, "You at least knew the choice you could make, even if you rejected it. I never knew and I never had a choice. I know that the choice was made for me, by all of you. My own family turned against me and assigned me to this unchanging state which I can never escape from. That's why all of you deserve to die, that's why I'm going to finish with you what I started with Valentin."

Carlisle froze when he heard this, and his grip on the gun tightened. For the first time, Karlie and Beth saw the first hint of rage in his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He growled softly.

Henri smirked. "I'm sure that you can guess, Carlisle. We may have sworn an oath in blood to our sire that we would never turn against each other directly, but he never said anything for himself that would have preserved his safety."

Carlisle took a menacing step forward. "So it was you then, wasn't it? You're the one who sold him out to the Republicans; you're the one who murdered him!"

"Should that come as such a surprise to you, Carlisle?" said Henri, who was perfectly unconcerned by the accusation. "Valentin was no friend of mine. He was the one who had me locked up."

"And it seems with good reason." Snapped Carlisle, "You always had a problem with control, Henri, you never even tried to be the person you could be. All those lives, Henri, all those lives lost in the Reign of Terror, all of them on your head."

"Don't lecture me about conscience, Carlisle. I think you know by now that I don't let such paltry things bother me."

Carlisle closed his eyes, and a growl rumbled up from his chest. When he opened his eyes, they were silver and his voice was as cold as ice. The anger that was radiating off of him was frightening even to Karlie and Beth, who understood maybe where some of the rumors about Carlisle being vicious would have originated.

"You will be explaining things to Alexandre, Henri. I draw the line at harboring the murderer of my sire."

Henri smiled cruelly and said, with evident satisfaction. "Oh really, Carlisle, if you think that I'm going to give up that easily, than you obviously don't remember a thing about me. If I'm defeated, than I intend to go out in such a way that everyone will remember me." He suddenly drew his own weapons and aimed it straight at Beth, and before anyone could do anything, he had pulled the trigger twice.

At this point, things began to happen very fast. Beth had collapsed in Karlie's arms, screaming in agony, and clutching one of her legs, where blood was already starting to seep from where the bullet had entered her leg. A thin rivulet was also forming on her shoulder, as one of the bullets had grazed her shoulder.

Carlisle, in response to this, brought his group to aim at Henri and fired. Henri let out a roar of pain as the silver bullet entered his arm. "Our oath may keep me from killing you, Henri, but it said nothing but drawing your blood. I'm sorry, brother."

The blond-haired vampires had rushed forward to support Henri, who was staring at Carlisle with hate-filled eyes. "I have never been one to accept apologies, Carlisle. It's always so much easier to kill those who offend you, that way, they can never come back." The two were retreating from the room, Henri knowing that neither Karlie nor Carlisle would follow him if Beth was still in trouble, but he still yelled back at them as they left, "This is the end of the line, for all of you."

Carlisle did not deign to even reply. He had not even heard the parting shot of Henri. His attention had become wholly focused upon the injured woman who was lying on the ground and the vampire who was holding her.

Carlisle hurried over to Karlie and gently, but firmly out of the way. "Pardon me, Karlie. I'm afraid that your expertise doesn't exactly cover things of this nature."

Karlie willingly allowed herself to be ushered out of the way, for the smell of Beth's blood was about to overwhelm her. Carlisle was examining the wound with experienced hands, and almost immediately saw things that worried him. "She's losing too much blood. I can't even tell if the bullet has nicked one of the arteries." He turned to Karlie, and said, "Give me your belt; I need to create a tourniquet. And get me some towels."

"Towels?" questioned Karlie, as she numbly took off her belt and handed it to him.

Carlisle began to wrap the belt tightly around Beth's leg. "Yes, I need to bring the bleeding down before I can assess the damage. The towels will have to do."

Karlie nodded, unable to think very clearly at the moment, what with a good friend of hers lying injured right in front of her and the smell of blood lying thick in the air. She rushed off to the bathroom, leaving Beth and Carlisle.

Beth had never been this badly hurt before in her life, not even in her investigations into dangerous crimes. In fact, she had never truly been the direct witness of a violent death. She had only ever seen the aftereffects. In the face of those situations, one could never have asked for anyone tougher or with a more solid stomach than Beth Turner. However, there had been one time when she had seen a person die from gun fire, and that had been her last boyfriend before she had known that Mick was the one for her. Now, the victim of the same weapon which had killed Josh, all she could remember was that he had died in front of her eyes, and she hadn't been able to do anything to help him.

She was beginning to feel panicked and afraid. "Is it bad?" She asked, trying to see what Carlisle was doing, and unthinkingly making it more difficult for Carlisle to do what he needed to do.

"Miss Turner, please lie still-"

"My last boyfriend was killed by gun fire. I couldn't do anything to save him. What if the same thing happens to me? What will happen to Mick? I can't leave him alone like this."

Carlisle temporarily abandoned his efforts to tend to Beth's leg. He took her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Beth, Beth look at me, listen to me." His voice was earnest, and something in it made Beth listen to him, "You will be all right. I'm not going to let you die. Do you trust me?"

Beth had been hoping that Carlisle was not guilty. Now, without even hearing his story from his own lips, she knew that he was indeed innocent, and he was nothing like the monster he had been painted to be. She saw in his eyes that he wanted to save her and that he was going to do everything in his power to do so. When he had first treated her a few weeks before, she had somehow instinctively known that she could trust him with her life. She had to trust him now.

She nodded wordlessly. And Carlisle responded by saying, "Than keep on trusting me. You have to listen to me, now. I know how much pain you're in, but I need you to try and lie as still as possible."

Beth nodded again, and tried to lie still. She was still frightened, but she tried to keep on trusting in Carlisle. Karlie appeared on the scene a few seconds later, and handed Carlisle the towels. Carlisle took them with a look of thanks and began to wrap Beth's leg tightly in the towels. Karlie could not help but see, once again, that he seemed completely unaffected by the scent of blood. "How do you do it?" She asked, unable to hide the wonder in her voice.

Carlisle looked at her, "I simply remember that they are my patients, and it's my duty to give them life, not take it from them." He said it as if were the only answer to the question. Like Beth, that one statement was all that Karlie needed to believe in Carlisle completely.

It was around this time that their situation, which was already grim enough, began to take a different turn. They had been so distracted by Beth's injuries, that the two of them had not noticed a new smell which was beginning to thread its way through the way, nor that the temperature in the room seemed to be rising.

Karlie was the first to smell it, and she coughed at the odor was growing thicker by the minute. "Is that smoke?"

"Wouldn't surprise me." said Carlisle, as he finished the wrapping on Beth's leg and began to apply pressure to her shoulder. "That's how he destroyed 919 Figaroura. My guess is he's trying to cover his tracks. Of course, killing me would be an added bonus."

Karlie got to her feet and hurried over to the doors of the office. She placed her hand on it, and immediately drew back when she felt the heart surging from the other side. "We're trapped." She stated.

"Henri never goes into a situation without having some sort of back-up plan." Said Carlisle, finishing with Beth. "He was going to make sure that if this didn't work, we wouldn't walk out of it alive."

Karlie's temper suddenly broke when she heard this. Her eyes flashed silver and she said, with a determined growl. "No, I haven't survived for seventy years to be burned to ashes in my own office." She strode to her desk and picked up a leaden statuette. She then hurled it at the glass windows which lined one side of her office. The glass shattered into a thousand shards, leaving a sizable opening through which they could escape.

Carlisle took Beth in his arms, who had finally submitted to the mercy of unconsciousness, sparing her some of the pain that she must have been going through. "Creative thinking." He said, "I like it."

"The repair bills are going to be catastrophic though." Muttered Karlie.

A jump of a few stories for a vampire, even one that is weighted down with an unconscious human, is nothing more than jumping down a few steps. Both Carlisle and Karlie managed to land on the ground at the back of Dashwood's, and Beth probably didn't feel so much as a jolt. They had apparently escaped not a moment too soon. Above them, there was a loud explosion, and a blast of hot air followed them down at came full force into their faces. Karlie flinched at the heat, as did Carlisle, and he tried to shield Beth from the worst of it.

"Come on," he said, "we have to get out of here."

"You'll be getting no argument from me." said Karlie, as they began heading for the parking lot. "I assume the hospital."

To her surprise, Carlisle shook his head. "Under ordinary circumstances, absolutely, in this case, it would be too dangerous. There's been a spy hounding my footsteps at the hospital. I haven't been back there to take care of him. I can't run the risk that Henri might go there directly, just to make sure he finished what he started. Even I have to say how lax hospital security can be in matters of this sort. Besides, I have a feeling that this would bring the police into it to closely. We have to operate outside of human resources for this one."

"So what are you going to do? Operate on Beth yourself?"

"Of course." Said Carlisle, "I've taken off the leg of a man in a trench in World War II, I'm perfectly capable of removing one bullet in my own home where the circumstances are much more controlled."

"But-"

"I would love to stand here arguing with you, Karlie, but I'm afraid that Beth doesn't have that time."

Karlie considered their options, and they weren't all that great. Carlisle was probably right that they couldn't go with the humans on this, and she had known from her research just how good a doctor Carlisle was. He was now all that was standing between Beth and, well, perhaps not death, but a very long recovery process and the danger of Henri trying to hunt her down.

"All right." she conceded, "We can take my car, and it's parked around this way."

It was at precisely twelve o' clock midnight that the call came into the Los Angels fire department: Dashwood's, the headquarters of the famous fashion emporium, was on fire. As it would turn out, the fire fighters' would get there in time to put out the worst of the blaze, and no one had injured that they were aware of. No one had known that Karlie and Beth had returned there, nor that an altercation which would change the fate of so many had occurred. Zero hour had arrived, and it would soon become evident just how important this turning point would be.


	26. Knowing

Knowing:

Mick had headed over to Josef's mansion as soon as his opinion of Carlisle had been softened by the memories which had so long been buried. He didn't know how far he could get with Josef. He knew his friend to be stubborn to the extremes, and it was not easy for him to change his opinions once he had formed them. However, Mick could have had no way of knowing that the past evening had not been the best of Josef's life. He could have had no way of knowing that Josef and Karlie had gotten into an argument over the very same subject matter, nor that Beth and Karlie had told Guillermo to meet them both at Josef's mansion at the hour of midnight.

These two things taken together meant that when he arrived at the mansion, and came into the living room, the first thing he heard was two voices shouting at each other, and he recognized the two voices as Guillermo and Josef, hurling accusations at each other. The first person he saw was Frederic, who came towards him with both a worried and relieved, looked in his eyes. "Mick, I won't lie when I say I am glad you're here."

"Frederic, what's going on?"

"A vampire named Guillermo Montez came here ten minutes ago. He said that Karlie and Beth told him to come to tell his story about Carlisle Duvall, but Josef didn't want to hear it. I came in right on the tail end of their argument."

"How would Guillermo know Carlisle?"

"Apparently, Carlisle is Guillermo's sire." Mick looked at Frederic in shock. "I know, that's what Josef and I thought. Unfortunately, I fear it may have set Josef off; he's been under a lot of pressure this evening. We have to get between them before they do anything that either of them will regret."

Mick and Frederic hurried into the room, and Mick saw that Frederic hadn't been exaggerating. Both Josef and Guillermo were fully vamped out, snarling at each other like two wolves. They had apparently stepped beyond the spoken insults and were getting ready to settle their differences with brute force.

This was the line for Frederic. He could sense that something beyond just the idea of Carlisle was bothering Josef. He was hovering close to being out of control, and if he did not step in now, trouble would surely be the result. He came up to Josef, just as his son was raising one hand to strike Guillermo, who in turn was being restrained by Mick. Frederic grabbed Josef by both shoulders and pushed him back. "Josef, enough. This has gone too far." He said to him, in German.

Josef was straining to get at Guillermo, and it was clear that he was not in the mood to listen to what his sire was saying. "I have had enough of waiting!" He barked, also in German, "Carlisle will pay, Guillermo. He's a criminal and he's come to close to hurting the people closest to me. I would take great pleasure in taking off his head."

Guillermo didn't have any idea what Josef was saying, but he heard enough in the tone to pick up that it was an insult. He growled and tried lunging at Josef, but Mick had a firm hold on him. "Mick, take him into the den." Instructed Frederic, in English, "I'll be along in a moment."

Mick nodded and started dragging a slightly reluctant Guillermo behind him, but he couldn't help but look back over his shoulder at Frederic and Josef. Frederic was still restraining Josef, speaking to him in a low voice. Josef still appeared to be very angry, but amazingly, he seemed to be listening. Mick couldn't help but respect Frederic. Karlie was the only other person who could approach Josef with any degree of safety when Josef let his inner vampire show.

A few minutes later, Mick had managed to get Guillermo calmed down, and Frederic came into the room, Josef being conspicuously absent. "Where's Josef?" Mick asked.

"I felt that he was becoming too close to this. He actually told me that he's been having some anxiety about Karlie over the past hour, so I told him that he should try and get in contact with her." He turned to Guillermo, "Now, I didn't hear the entire story from you Guillermo. Please start at the beginning and don't leave anything out."

Guillermo told the same story of his turning that he had repeated to Beth and Karlie a few hours before. "They said that they would meet me here." He said, once he had finished, "But when they weren't here, I was reluctant to tell Josef the whole story without back-up. I think with good reason."

Frederic and Mick had listened to the whole thing in silence, Frederic looked especially thoughtful. At last, he said, "One of the most dangerous things about becoming as old as I am is becoming to set in your ways, thinking that things you thought were true beyond a doubt will always remain that way. If there is anything that being 600 years old should have taught me, it's that nothing is ever certain. You have done something that doesn't happen every day, Guillermo; you have forced me to take a sympathetic view to at least member of the Duvall line."

"And I'm not making any of it up." Said Guillermo, still a bit defensively, "I can't tell you what happened at the warehouse, but I'm almost certain that Carlisle isn't responsible for it, or at least not in that way you think he is. There are a lot of others in the community that would be willing to speak up for him, if they thought that someone would listen to them."

"Well, I think I'm willing to listen to more." Said Mick, "And I also think that we should hear more from Carlisle before we do anything else against him, Frederic."

"You're right, I think." Said Frederic, "The day has come for Carlisle Duvall to make a fair hearing of himself, whichever way it might go for him. Thank you, Guillermo; you have given us a lot to think about."

Guillermo, sensing that the dismissal in the older vampire's voice, Guillermo rose to his feet, but he also wanted to know one thing for certain. "Karlie said that you were planning on making a move against him. Are you still going to do that?"

"You have my word, Guillermo. Carlisle will not be harmed, as long as he has not done harm to anyone else."

"He won't, and he never has." With that Guillermo left them.

Frederic looked at Mick, "I don't think it was just fledgling loyalty talking. I believe he was telling the truth."

"Guillermo is actually one of the more truthful vampires that I've met." Said Mick, "And he's always been a fine up-standing member of the community. If there is anyone we could trust, I think that it would be him." He looked at Frederic, "Is Josef all right with this, I mean really? He looked about ready to tear Guillermo's throat out."

"He will be, in a few hours. He and Karlie had an argument earlier this evening, about this same subject I believe, so I think that might have had something to do with his reaction."

"Yeah, I had the same problem with Beth. But now…" He trailed off.

"Are you beginning to think the same things about Carlisle?" asked Frederic.

"I think that I remember fighting with him in World War II." Mick admitted, "He was a doctor, than, as well. Saved a lot of us from death, under conditions that would have killed anyone else. Back then, I respected him a great deal. I had no idea that he was a vampire, of course."

"I would not be surprised. The Duvalls might be a line that likes to flaunt their ancient status, but they are as paranoid as Josef is in keeping their true identity a secret. In fact, Alexandre, at least, is worse than my son." He turned and looked at Mick, "Mick, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something."

"Sure, what?"

"Well, I have just noticed that sometimes you seem to watch Josef and I with something that goes beyond simple respect. It's almost as if you envy him."

Mick sighed and shook his head. He apparently couldn't hide much from this vampire; not surprising considering her was so old. "I do envy him, actually. Not in a bad way, it's just that I see in you two the kind of relationship I would have liked to have had with my sire, if I had been given the choice."

"I understand that. Of course, Josef and I are a somewhat different case from you and Coraline."

"True enough, but you should at least be able to respect your sire. I have a hard time even remembering the good feelings that I might have had for Coraline at one time. Now, there is nothing left of what we might have shared. With and Josef, it just seems so natural, even after all of this time."

Frederic smiled gently, as though Mick had just said something which struck him as being very amusing. "Really? Is that how you see us?"

"Yeah, it would be hard to miss. It sounds kind of weird, but during the early years of our friendship, I really did envy Josef. It seemed like he had everything as a vampire I would never be able to achieve. He just seemed to be a vampire so easily. I thought that I would never become that way. It's gotten easier, especially, since I have Beth, but I still wonder if I'll ever be able to say that being a vampire is something that I don't mind."

Frederic, with that same smile on his face, sat down in one of the chairs opposite Mick and said, "Mick, it might surprise you to know that there was a time when Josef was not so keen to live the fullest his undead existence. In fact, if we are talking in terms of self-loathing, Josef might have been even worse than you."

Mick looked at Frederic, completely shocked. "You're kidding? Josef?"

"Should that strike you as being such a surprise? He was not always four hundred years old. Once he was a nearly uncontrollable fledgling who hated the idea of feeding on humans almost as much as he was hardly able to control his bloodlust. I sometimes wondered if our bond as a sire and fledging would be enough to keep from killing me."

Mick could hardly believe what he was hearing. Josef had never told him anything about his turning. This was a Josef that he had never even imagined could have existed. "But he always seems to confidant. He's the perfect spokesman for being immortal."

"Once, he wasn't Mick. When I turned him, Josef hated both himself for what he was and me for having turned him. And I think, as much as you loathed yourself when you were first turned, you never tried to commit suicide."

That was true, Mick had tried to resist Coraline's feeding him live, but he had never really had the nerve to actually go through with any act of self-slaughter. "Josef really tried to kill himself?"

Frederic nodded soberly. "Many times I would wake to find that he had slipped out, and had been standing in the sun for hours on end. Fortunately, he soon caught onto the fact that such an action only made him more dangerous when he was around humans. Still, I think that his first year was hard for him, even more than most other fledglings. In fact, I don't think that he fully started to enjoy his vampirism until he was until one hundred years old." He looked at Mick, "I believe that you have time to find where your being a vampire fits into your life. I actually think that you're a good influence on Josef, you keep him more human. And no doubt he would flatly deny such a connection, but he is the better for your friendship, that much I can tell you."

Mick knew that Frederic probably wouldn't have said that to just anyone, so it touched him. Still, he also had to smile. "I don't think that Josef would find great pleasure in us talking about him like this."

Frederic returned the smile, "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't. Perhaps you should keep this to yourself. Still, I think that it is best for you to know that you and Josef are really not as different as you might think, even now."

"Speaking of Josef, I think that we had better go find him. He should be calmed down by now."

No sooner had the words came out of Mick's mouth, than Josef himself prowled into the room. He was no longer as angry as he had been, but there was a dark look in his eyes and a worried expression on his face. "Josef, what is it?" said Mick.

Josef had to take a moment to answer, before he said, "There's been a fire at Dashwood's."

That statement was enough to set both Mick and Frederic on edge, especially Mick. Frederic had said that Karlie and Josef had fought. Mick knew from past experience that Karlie normally retreated to her fashion headquarters when she had Josef had a fight. And Beth would surely have gone there after their little blow-up. Fear stabbed through Mick and guilt. He should have listened to her, then he wouldn't have put her in harm's way. "Was anyone there? What about Beth?"

"They don't think that the two of them were there, and they said that no one was hurt that they know of. But I still don't like it. They've asked us to go down there. It might be this which finally leads us to some idea of the truth."


	27. Too Late?

Too Late?:

Simone Bryant had received the call from the fire department that her boyfriend had been trapped in a fire which had broken out at Dashwood's around the hour of midnight. Though she had been half-asleep at the time and had been getting ready to go to bed, adrenaline is an amazing thing. Within the space of twenty minutes she had thrown on her clothes, gotten in the car and zoomed over to Dashwood's, all without getting stopped by the police. Considering the speed she had been going, that had to count as something of a miracle.

When she arrived, she found that there was already a small crowd of reporters, fire fighters and medical people gathered around the scene. She parked haphazardly in a place that was maybe not quite legal and hurried up to the yellow police tape which was keeping most of the crowd at a safe distance. She looked hard all around her, trying to see some sign of Travis. She eventually aught sight of him, sitting on the one ambulance, apparently being treated for smoke inhalation.

Doing rather than thinking, which was not an ordinary occurrence for someone like Simone, she immediately ducked underneath the tape and rushed over to him. Her appearance on the scene was so unexpected that for a moment, none of the medical techs knew exactly how to respond. She threw her arms around Travis and said, beginning to cry from sheer relief. "Oh, Travis, you're all right, thank God. I've been praying all the way over. Are you all right? What happened? Was anyone else hurt?"

"Miss, you're not supposed to be here." Said one of the med techs, stepping up to her and trying to take her by the arm.

Simone turned on him fiercely. "I do have every right to be here. He's my fiancé."

Travis looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows, but after a moment, he withdrew the breathing mask he had had on and said, "Uh, yeah, this is my fiancée."

The tech still looked unsure, but than a new voice entered the conversation. "It's all right, sir, these two are with me."

The tech turned around to see three different men approaching the ambulance. The policemen who were on watch signaled to the tech that they were okay to be there. Josef Koston waved the tech aside and spoke to Travis. "How are you feeling?"

"Mild smoke inhalation, Mr. Koston, nothing to serious."

"Did you hear anything at all? Do you have any idea at all who set this fire?" asked Mick, who was acting PI in this case, or so he had told the police.

Travis shook his head. "I wish I could give you something, really I do. But there isn't much. You know how it is with vampires, they can make themselves disappear, and whoever set this fire I know didn't want to be found."

"What do you know about what happened?"

"It was about 11:45, I was just getting ready to leave. I was in the main lobby, talking with one of the security guards, Jack, who I happen to be pretty good friends with. I saw Karlie going up to her office with a vampire I had never seen before, but I didn't think much of it at first. I figured it was just someone she knew from the community. About ten minutes later, the smoke alarms started going off. Jack saw that there were flames and smoke on one of his screens, and he said that he needed to get everyone out. He hadn't seen Karlie, so he didn't know that she was there. I tried to go upstairs, to make sure that she was all right, but the fire was worse on the second floor, I couldn't make it past. I'm sorry, Josef, really I am."

Josef brushed it off. "Travis, none of this is your fault. I know that you would have tried to save if you could have. But I doubt that Karlie would let a little thing like this fire stop her. Until I know anything definite, I'm going to go by the assumption that she is alive, and so should you."

"What about this vampire?" said Mick, "What did he look like?"

"I didn't get that good of a look at him, but he was tall, broad-shouldered, had black hair that was about shoulder length."

Josef, Mick and Frederic exchanged glances. "That sounds like Carlisle, all right." said Mick, below the range of either Travis or Simone's hearing.

"But what was he doing here at this hour of night?" said Josef.

"For whatever reason he came," said Mick, "I think it's pretty clear that Karlie didn't perceive him as a threat. We need to get inside the office. See if we can find anything."

Frederic and Mick nodded their heads. Josef looked back at Travis, who was enjoying some close attention by Simone. "Travis, do you think you're feeling well enough to go home?" She was asking him.

"They said that I could go once I had been treated, only that I would need to take it easy for the next few days."

"All right, than I'll be the one to look after you."

"You? You can't even cook."

"I can so. You're the one whose been teaching me how to use the oven for something other than frozen meals."

"Uh, you two?" said Josef, who despite himself couldn't help smiling at the human couple. "I'm sure you can continue this debate in the car. Go on, Travis, I'm sure that Simone won't let you starve. We'll let you know if we find out anything."

Travis nodded and, supported by Simone, the two headed for her car. When they got inside, Travis looked at her and smiled, "You know I'm not really your fiancée."

Simone returned the smile. "Well, all I need is a ring, and we can make it official."

"That sounds good to me. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Josef, Mick and Frederic managed to get into Karlie's main office with relative ease. The fire fighters had put out the blaze and it was now safe to walk amidst the wreckage. The damage was not as extensive as Josef had at first feared. The walls were streaked and blackened with smoke, and there was fire and water damage to the carpet and furniture and a few windows had been broken by the flames. Hopefully, however, things could be repaired very quickly.

At the moment, though, the three were more worried about what they could detect that was beyond the sense of humans to find out. It did not take them long to find disturbing signs of the conflict which had taken place.

Amidst the burned wreckage of the office, they smelled the tell tale signs of the ash left behind when a vampire is burned to death. There is no smell quite like that to the senses of any vampire. Moreover, they could also smell tell-tale traces of silver, indicating that he had been shot before he had been burned. The masking agent that had been used in previous attempts was still in effect, but there were some subtle differences this time which both answered questions and brought new ones to light.

"I don't think that this is Carlisle's work." Said Mick, after a few minutes, "It doesn't make any sense. Why come here seemingly alone, even if it was to try and lure Karlie into a false sense of security to kidnap her and Beth, but at the same time kill one of his own followers?"

"And I don't think that Carlisle came here with any nefarious purposes." Said Frederic, "If he did, then he probably would have used the masking agent. But I think we can all say that we can smell him fairly clearly."

"But we can also see that he is the one who is doing the shooting," remarked Josef, who, though trying his very best to keep an open was still the most skeptical of Carlisle's true intentions. "The only question is who was he shooting at and why?"

Mick was walking among the wreckage, when he suddenly froze. He inhaled deeply, and dropped to his knees. There was a look on his face of fear and sudden desperation. "Beth." He murmured.

"What is it?" asked Josef, alerted by the tone in his friends' voice.

Mick took a moment to respond, overwhelmed by the smell of the memories that were assaulting him. "It's her blood, Beth was shot." He looked at Frederic and Josef, "But, I don't think it was Carlisle who did it." Because Mick was so closely connected with Beth, he was now able to sense something that they had been missing before. The image was by no means clear, and it was more like a long forgotten dream that he saw than anything definite, but it was still more of a lead than they had had before. "Carlisle didn't shoot her, it was someone else. He looks like a member of the Duvall line but I can't be sure. But it was Carlisle who saved her; he wanted to keep her alive."

Josef and Frederic looked at each other and then looked at Mick. "Are you sure, Mick?" asked Frederic.

"I'm positive. He told her that he wasn't going to let her die, and he meant it." He was silent for a moment, before he finally said quietly, "I can't tell if she survived or not."

"Josef, you're bond with Karlie, can it tell you anything about where she might be right now?" asked Frederic.

Josef shook his head. "It's not that specific. That's also the strange thing. I sensed a few hours ago that she was in some sort of trouble, but now I can't sense even that. She must still be alive and safe, but more than that I can't say."

Mick, still disturbed by the fact that Beth might still be in some sort of physical danger, got up and went over to them. "This isn't adding up," he told them, "Carlisle can't be the prime suspect in this case, if he should be a suspect at all. What if we've been getting it wrong? I'm beginning to wonder if there might be another vampire we should be more worried about."

"You mean Henri?" said Frederic, after a moment of silence.

Mick nodded. "We've been focusing all our efforts on finding Carlisle, on trying to convict him. What if that was what Henri was aiming for all along? To keep us from finding out anything about him?"

"Henri wouldn't be able to plan something like this on his own." Said Josef, "He's too unstable."

"Well, he managed to give his brother who's been watching him for three hundred years the slip rather easily, and all of us. Besides, how can you be sure? Did you ever have any direct contact with him personally?"

"No," Josef admitted after a moment of silence. "He was always kept under a close watch in France, and I never spoke with him. I only ever saw him from a distance, always with another vampire in close guard over him."

"Than how can any of us know what he is capable of?" Said Mick, "It might be hard for you to accept Josef, but I'm beginning to see what Beth was trying to tell me. There is no evidence linking Carlisle to the crimes he's supposed to have committed. And I know that if he was so intent on getting revenge for Coraline, he wouldn't have been so intent on saving Beth."

Josef looked from Mick to Frederic, who only shrugged. "Perhaps it's time that you tried to keep an open mind, Josef." He said, "I think it's time we gave Carlisle Duvall a chance to explain himself."

Josef seemed to hesitate, but finally nodded, although with still a bit of reluctance. "I don't like giving ground to the Duvall line, but it seems that I'm outnumbered. And I for one would like to know why he's kept it hidden all these years. But I'm not doing anything until I know where Karlie is."

"Wouldn't they be at the hospital?" said Frederic, "If Beth was shot and Carlisle is a doctor, you'd think that would be the most logical place to end up."

"Unless he thought the hospital wouldn't be a safe place for her." said Mick.

Neither of them was sure how to respond, but they somehow sensed that Mick was right.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mick, Josef and Frederic left Dashwood's. They were too deep in conversation to notice that they were being watched. Across the street, in a silver car, two vampires watched the trio closely.

"Only Josef and Mick," he said, "No Karlie and no little human tagging along. That confirms it. They must have died in the fire."

"If what you have said of Josef and Karlie is true, that they really are bonded, Josef would have sensed it, and we can be sure that if that that were the case, Carlisle would be dead by now." She responded.

He looked across at her, "True enough. So first we have to find Carlisle, and warn him."

"I thought our task was to find Henri and take care of him."

"That was part of what Alexandre said. However, I am adding a little something to it. Carlisle has been a blot, however small, on the family reputation for far too long. It's time for him to stop hiding and accept who he is. He is a Duvall, and he always will be."

She smiled at him. "If I didn't know you better, Lance, I'd say that you were sounding almost sentimental."

Lance returned the smile. "Not so much sentimental as wanting to strike a blow for family honor. Besides, I think that if we keep our eyes on Carlisle, and Josef and the others come into contact with him, then Henri will show his face sooner or later. Still, don't hear Alexandre talking this way."

"He will hear nothing of it from me."

With that, Lance started the engine and the silver car disappeared from the scene and into the night.

* * *

Of course, you knoew that Lance would have to come into this at some point, didn't you? I always rather liked Lance, too bad he was only in one episode and we couldn't see more of him. And the men are finally on the right track. But, what has happened to Beth and Karlie? I'm not going to tell, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out. In the meantime, please drop a review.

Next chapter: Karlie receives more information about Carlisle's background, and help from a surprising quarter will finally bring Carlisle face to face with his accusers, and give him a chance to finally give his defense.


	28. Face to Face

I know, the update has been interminably long. I have no other excuse, besides school, more school and a fifteen-page paper I had to write over Thanksgiving Break. Still, I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.

Face to Face:

Karlie had had an eventful night, to say the least. First a fight with Josef, then finding out the Guillermo had been sired by Carlisle, a confrontation with the real enemy in this whole scenario and seen her best friend get shot. Karlie felt understandably drained.

The ride over to Carlisle's house had been silent, save for a few comments on Carlisle's part on how Beth was doing and giving Karlie instructions as to the direction she should be going. He had needed to tend to Beth in the back, which meant that Karlie ended up in the driver's seat. Her surprise had been somewhat multiplied when they got to his house and who should immediately appear, but Amanda.

The two of them with Beth had disappeared into the kitchen, and she hadn't heard anything from them since. She wasn't sure whether she should interpret that as a good or bad sign. She had ended up wandering into the living room, and sitting down, counting the seconds, for she really had nothing else to do. Until she smelled something and heard something moving in the hallway beyond the living room. She had looked and found that a large, black dog was staring at her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

She stared back for a few seconds. Would there be no end to the night's surprises? Was she really supposed to believe that now Carlisle had a pet?

Vampire and dog regarded each other for a few seconds, both of them rather unsure what to think. Felix was not used to having so many strange people around his master. However, animals have a way of being able to know who they can trust. Felix was still for a few minutes, then came forward into the room, almost hesitantly.

Karlie, rather curious now that the initial surprise had passed, held out a hand to the dog and said, "Hey, there. You don't need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."

Felix inched forward, and gave her hand a good sniffing before. He seemed to pause for a moment, looked up into her face, and then cautiously nudged her outstretched hand. Karlie gently began stroking his head and scratching his ears. The dog really seemed to enjoy this and leaned into her hand. It's often said that the way to a dog's heart is through his stomach. Leaving out the idea that every dog's affections can be bought so easily, that is actually a false sentiment. A few gentle pattings and scratchings, with true kindness behind them will never be turned down by any sensible member of the canine race.

The dog and Karlie had just been to get to know each other when Amanda came into the room. She stopped and looked at them. "That's hardly fair," she said, "It took me getting impaled with a stake for that dog to finally look at me without growling. I still can't touch him without him getting slightly suspicious. And yet here you are petting him as though you've known him all his life."

Karlie smiled a little. "What can I say? Maybe I'm just more likeable at first appearance than you are." She sobered for a moment and asked, "How is Beth?"

Amanda sat down, her expression serious, "She took a bad wound to the leg, and got a nasty cut on her shoulder. She lost a lot of blood, and she will be down for a few weeks. But Carlisle says that it could have been much worse. It missed the artery in her leg, so his surgery didn't have to be to invasive. He's taking her up to the bedroom now, and probably hooking her up to all sorts of monitors. Luckily, he had some spare blood on hand, and even with Beth's rare blood type, she's still compatible with almost all of them."

Karlie had to shake her head. "Seems like Carlisle is full of surprises. I still can't get over the fact that he can perform surgery, let alone be confronted with so much blood and not seem effected by it. Even I felt overwhelmed and Beth is my best friend."

"Carlisle has always been like that. He had incredible self-control as a human. He is affected by the scent of human blood, he's just better at controlling it."

Karlie looked at her. She couldn't help but hear the note of pride in her voice, and the shinning light in her eyes which occurred whenever she talked of Carlisle. "You and he seem to go way back."

"To 1856, to be exact." Said Amanda, "I was running a saloon business in the settlement which would come to be known as Colorado Springs. It was a handy cover for my cleaning activities. Carlisle came into town one day, sort of like an old western, the mysterious hero comes into town. Nobody knows where he comes from or where he goes when he leaves. Carlisle was exactly like that. There were several people in the town that disliked him, but others trusted him because he was such an amazing physician, a rarity in the old west days. There was something about him which drew me to him from the very beginning. He had an incredibly lost look about him, but when he was around me, he seemed to be more at ease. He told me that with me, he felt like he belonged somewhere. I was the only true friend he had met since coming to the states and the first he trusted with the secret of his past.

"We eventually became lovers, though our feelings were always undeclared. Carlisle was restless sometimes, almost as if he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay in one place for very long. He was only about to stay in Colorado Springs for five years before he was forced to leave by the head vampire in the area who had heard rumors about his possibly violent past. Over the decades, we somehow always managed to cross each other's paths in the most unlikely of places, in the Old South in the aftermath of the Civil War, at the opera in New York, in gang-ridden 1920's Chicago. We've seen a lot together. But we somehow lost touch when the First World War broke out. Carlisle felt compelled to go and serve his adopted country. I'd not heard from him for eighty years until a few weeks ago."

"Would I be right in assuming that you don't want to be separated from him anytime soon?"

Amanda smiled slightly. "You read people far too well in matters of the heart, Karlie. It must be because you have experience. I don't want to leave Carlisle and he doesn't want to leave me. That's part of the reason why he wanted to tell you what actually happened in the French Revolution. He hopes that it will give us a chance to be together."

"If it means anything to you," said Karlie, after a pause, "I don't need to hear his story to be fully convinced of his innocence. Beth and I have been looking into his history, and his actions this past night have proven him to be innocent in my eyes, I will be in your corner, I promise you."

"Thank you, Karlie." said Amanda, fervently, "That means so much to me."

At this moment, Carlisle came into the room. He looked tired, hardly a surprise considering what he had been through the past few days. When he saw him, Felix immediately hurried over to him, tail wagging happily. He licked Carlisle's hand and whined. Carlisle knelt down and patted him on the head. "Sorry, boy," he said, "You've been through a lot the past few hours. And I've forgotten to feed you. I'm sure your hungry." He went over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out a bag of dog food. "I'm afraid it will have to the dry food for tonight, Felix. You wouldn't want to eat the canned after what the kitchen has been through tonight."

He filled Felix's bowl with food and while he was doing so, he looked at Karlie and spoke to her for the first time. "I see you've made a friend of Felix. Consider yourself lucky. It normally takes him a few weeks to get used to others of our kind."

"If he ever does at all." muttered Amanda, though it seemed as though perhaps Felix was slowly working his way into her good graces.

Carlisle patted his pet's head once more and smiled at Karlie, who was watching this seemingly ordinary scene with puzzlement. "You look confused, Karlie."

"I just… have never heard of a vampire having a pet before. I always thought that animals were afraid of vampires."

"Many are perhaps. But animals are more willing to look beyond instinct and see to the soul of a person, even of the undead kind. I have had several animals who saw me more clearly than any person ever could." He got to his feet and went over to sit down on the couch beside Amanda. He looked steadily across as Karlie. "However, I hope to change all that. I came to your headquarters to speak to you, Karlie, and I still want to do that if you will give me a fair hearing."

"I don't need to hear your story. I think I already know some of it. Your actions have spoken louder, though, than any words you can say. You are not a monster, Carlisle and you are not a murderer. You wouldn't have saved Beth if you were anything else but a good man. And I don't think Amanda or Guillermo would be willing to stand up for you if you weren't."

Carlisle seemed surprised at the mention of Guillermo's name, but then merely shook his head. "So, Guillermo told you, did he? I always thought that boy would one day."

"It's only because he cares for you." said Amanda.

"I think that there are a lot of people who would say the same thing." Said Karlie.

Carlisle looked from one woman to the other. "Your support means a lot to me, Karlie." he said, "I must say, what I have heard of your understanding does not do you justice. It's far more than I have gotten out of the world to date. But, though I have you convinced, your husband might be a different story, not to mention Mick St. John. No doubt they are aware of the fire by this time, and if they suspect me, than there is a good chance that they will kill me before they want to hear anything from me."

"But, if Josef heard from me first, I know he would be willing to give you a chance. Besides, I have probably left off calling him a bit too long. Carlisle, I need to use your phone."

* * *

It took a few tries on Karlie's part. Mostly because she had left her cell phone back at Dashwood's, and had had to use Carlisle's line. Unfortunately, that meant the number was one which Josef would not recognize, and so she had to try at least three times before Josef finally answered. But even she was rather surprised by the sharp edge in his voice. "Who is it and this had better be good?"

Karlie seemed to be taken aback for a moment, before she finally said, "Nice to hear from you, too, dear. Can I always expect such a warm greeting from not on?"

On his end of the line, Josef was so shocked that he nearly dropped the phone. He quickly put her on the speaker so that Mick and Frederic could hear as well. "Karlie, Karlie are you all right?" his voice held more than a little concern.

"Yes, Josef, I'm fine, we both are."

Before she could go on, Josef cut her off. "Where are you? Why haven't you called us?"

There was a short, pregnant pause, before Karlie finally said, "Josef, listen to me, and don't interrupt. We were wrong, Josef, all along we've been wrong. Carlisle is innocent; it's Henri that we need to be watching out for. Carlisle was the one who saved us."

"What about Beth?" said Mick, who could not bare to remain silent any longer, not when the fear had been eating at him the entire evening that he had failed Beth and she had died. "I smelled her blood; I know that she was shot."

At this point, a new voice was heard, one that caused all of them to start in surprise. "Beth is alive because of Carlisle." Said Amanda's voice on the other end of the line, "If it hadn't been for him, she would have died, and so would Karlie."

"Amanda?" said Josef, after a moment of stunned silence, "You're supposed to be dead?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am very much alive. Also thanks to Carlisle. He's nothing like what the rumors have painted him to be, Josef."

"She's right, Josef." Said Karlie, "I think you need to see him face to face, you, Mick and Frederic. This has to be resolved before more people get hurt."

The three men exchanged looks, and in unspoken agreement they knew what had to be done. Finally, Josef said, "We'll be there in an hour."

* * *

Karlie had wanted to see Beth, and once she was finished speaking with Josef, she had come upstairs to the bedroom. Beth was lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully, hooked up to various monitors that emitted a steady beeping tone. Karlie could hear Beth's heartbeat, and was relieved to hear that it was somewhat slower and calmer than it had been even an hour ago.

Carlisle was there, changing out a bag of blood for a fresh one. "She'll be fine." He said, to Karlie's unspoken question, "A few weeks of rest and she'll be as right as rain again in no time. I have seen far worse from gun shot wounds, believe me."

"I suppose if you have seen war, than you must have." Carlisle paused in what he was doing and looked at her. "I guess you could say, I have been doing some research about you."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Karlie watched him for a few more minutes, as he finished what he was doing and went on to check Beth's vital signs. "Carlisle, why do you do this? You've told me how, but _why_? Wouldn't there have been a better way?"

"Perhaps, there might have been an easier way. But I have always been the most self-denying of all my family, even when I was human. It annoyed several of them to no end. However, if you think I do this because I feel I have to make some sort of recompense for what I have done, that's not why I do it. I made peace with what I was a long time ago. It was never being a vampire which was the problem for me. It was, well, it was other issues with me. I'm a doctor, because I enjoy helping people, it brings me happiness. No doubt many of my kind would regard me as a fool for caring so deeply about humans, but I cannot change what I am, nor would I attempt to."

"I don't think you're a fool." Said Karlie, softly, "I respected you even before I knew who you were. I respect those of our kind who strive to use what powers they have for a greater good, rather then to harm."

"And yet, you married a vampire like Josef?"

"Josef can be self-sacrificing, he just tries to hide it more. He is not a monster, he just enjoys being a vampire, which is more than I can say for several vampires. I love Mick dearly, but I know that I could not live with him."

"Forgive me, Karlie, I meant no offence. I only know the general things that are said of Josef, and I think you may understand when I say that I was not exactly given a warm reception by him when we first met. I suppose I have much to learn about him as he does about me."

At this moment, both vampires smelled something in the doorway. Karlie looked and saw that Felix was peering into the room. He looked first at Carlisle, then at Beth's still sleeping form and then at Carlisle again. "Come here, boy." Said Carlisle. "It's all right." that seemed to be all the invitation that Felix needed. He nosed the door open the rest of the way and padded quietly over to Carlisle's side. He then sat beside the bed and looked at Beth. The tip of his tail moved ever so slightly, he whined a little and nudged her hand and gave it a small lick.

To Karlie's surprise, Beth began to stir. She moaned slightly and opened her eyes. She looked around her at the unfamiliar surroundings, before her eyes settled on Karlie. "Karlie," She said, trying to get up, but Carlisle gently, but firmly pushed her back down.

"Easy, Miss Turner, easy. You have had an eventful evening."

Beth looked first at Carlisle and then at Karlie, as the events of the last night suddenly came flooding back to her. "Henri? He shot me? Karlie, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Said Karlie, "You were shot, Beth, but you'll be fine. You're in Carlisle's house. He was the one who fixed you up."

Beth's head turned to Carlisle and she stared at him in surprise. "You?"

"I wish I could take the credit for working a miracle. But in reality, Beth, it was not all that difficult. Once I got you back here and was able to assess the damage, it was a simple, straightforward matter."

"And I sense that you might be being a little too modest." Said Karlie, with a smile, "He certainly knew more of what to than I would have been able to in the situation."

Carlisle returned the smiled, and said no more about it.

At this point, Beth seemed to become aware of the fact that there was a large, furry head resting on her hand. Looking down, she saw Felix there, staring up at her with doleful eyes. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Felix." Said Carlisle, "He's here to provide the emotional support."

"Oh, thanks, I guess." Said Beth, who was a little, surprised just seeing a dog that seemed to be perfectly at ease in the presence of so many vampires. "What about Mick? Karlie, do they know that we are here?"

"Yes, I called them awhile ago. I think they should be here soon."

Beth knew what this meant. She turned her gaze to Carlisle. "You're going to tell them, aren't you?"

"Yes, and we will see if they even listen to me." said Carlisle.

"They will listen to you." said Beth, with determination, "You have Karlie and I on your side and I won't be having them rip you to shreds when you're the one who saved my life."

Carlisle smiled at Beth's tone of voice. "You've been bedded by a serious injury and you think you can convince both Josef, his sire and your boyfriend from doing anything to me? You are tough, Beth. I like that about you."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than several things started to happen. Outside the house, there was the sound of an approaching car. Karlie got to her feet and looked out the window. "It's Josef's car. They've just pulled into the driveway."

Carlisle immediately got to his feet and said, "Felix, come." Felix reluctantly went to his master's feet.

"What's the matter?" asked Beth.

"Felix doesn't do well with other vampires. I'm guessing that Karlie was an exception to the rule. Too many vampires in such an enclosed space will make him more nervous then necessary. I need to put him on his own, he'll be less of a handful that way. Don't worry, I'll be back."

Karlie and Beth watched as Carlisle ushered his pet into another room and shut the door. A few minutes later, they both heard the sounds of the door being opened downstairs, the exchange of voices, and then the sound of people coming up the stairs. Karlie heard Amanda telling the three men that they would listen to Carlisle, and wouldn't make any move to hurt him. Karlie knew that such a warning was probably unnecessary, but considering the intimate past which existed between Amanda and Carlisle, it was perhaps not surprising.

The next instant, the door opened and the entire group entered the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, Mick headed straight for Beth, and Josef seemed to instantly have Karlie in his arms. After the incident with the fire, they had been unsure what to expect. Their relief at seeing their ladies in relative safety was obvious.

However, even the warning that Beth had been shot had not been quite enough to prepare Mick for the actual sight. "Beth, are you all right?"

But before Beth could say anything, Carlisle supplied the answer. "She will be fine, Mr. St. John, with rest and therapy, I can assume to see her fully recovered by next month."

All eyes turned to the door where Carlisle had just emerged. There was a moment of tense silence. This was the first time that any of them had ever been face to face, with no barriers between them. There was still some doubt which needed to be taken care of, and still a story which needed to be told.

Carlisle surveyed the three newcomers in turn, his eyes settling last of all on Frederic. "May I assume that you are Frederic Braun?"

"I am." Said Frederic.

"I have often heard of you, but never met."

"I can say the same about you, Carlisle. The last time I was in France, you had already turned tail and run."

Carlisle stared at him for a long moment, before saying. "Yes, perhaps I was running from something, but it is not for the crime which you think it is. You have come here, and you haven't made any move to kill me, which you might be under every right to do if I was actually guilty of the crimes which were attributed to me."

"We are willing to concede the fact that you didn't do anything here in LA." Said Josef, "That doesn't explain anything about your past."

"Your right, Josef, it doesn't. And I have been running from it for far too long. All I ask is the chance to make my defense. What happens after, I will leave for you to decide."

"Then start at the beginning." Said Josef, "And see to it that you leave nothing out."

* * *

Please, read and review.

Next chapter: Carlisle finally gets a chance of telling his side of the story, but it will rest with his audience to pass either a sentence of guilty or innocent.


	29. Carlisle's Defense

This chapter finally contains the back-story of Carlisle's action. It gets a little wordy, but I don't think it's too boring. Also, there is a little explanation for a scene from one of the episodes of Moonlight, and the background which I think it implies. See if you can guess which episode it's from.

Carlisle's Defense:

Carlisle did not begin his story right away. Instead, he stood there silently for a few minutes. He had been trying to ignore this part of him for so long, that now it was time to actually go into it; he had no real idea how he was supposed to start. At last, however, he began to speak, "It all began in the year 1693. It was the last decades of Louis IVX. By that time, everyone in my family was of an age old enough to be turned. Valentin, our sire, had already begun the process a few years earlier with the eldest Alexandre and Lance. I was actually the second eldest, so Valentin would have liked to have changed me after Alexandre, but I fear that I never was all that trustworthy of him and his intents towards the family. I tired to avoid him whenever I could. Unfortunately, he was determined that one day we would meet, and one day I could no longer ignore the summons to meet with him.

"He had a residence in Paris, where he had turned my brothers, while my family had stayed mostly in Marseille. Valentin never thought that I would resist being a vampire when he actually offered it to me, but when I found out what he was, and what he was offering me, I couldn't imagine a fate more loathsome. I saw what Valentin was, a vampire who controlled the royal court and surrounded himself with luxuries with no thought to who stood in his way in order to get them. I thought that all vampires were like that, and I could not stand the idea of becoming the same. I turned him down and told him that I never wanted to see him again, and that he should stay away from the rest of the family.

"I left him that night, intending to return to Marseille and warn the rest of my family, and help them to escape if necessary. But I underestimated Valentin's strength, and the network of loyal followers that he had, including my brothers. While I was riding through the gates of Paris, I was set upon by Alexandre and Lance, though I didn't know it was them at the time. They knocked me out, and the next thing I knew, I had woken up as a vampire."

The memory was clearly very painful for Carlisle to relate. At first, those who were listening could not believe what they were hearing, especially Josef and Frederic. They had been under the impression that all members of the Duvall line had been turned willingly. This was news to them. Mick could not help but see the similarity between himself and Carlisle. True, it was sort of a different circumstance, but they had both been betrayed by people they thought that they could trust. Mick found that he was actually feeling sympathetic to Carlisle, something that he never thought would happen with a member of Coraline's family.

Carlisle saw what they were thinking. "This must come as something as a surprise to you. I fear that my transition to my turning helped to lay the foundation for the later rumors. I was not an easy fledgling; Valentin had hoped that I would leave behind my sympathies for those less fortunate than me, that I would begin to follow more in the tradition of the family. It did just the opposite. I fed live, for I didn't want to kill and there was no other way for blood to be had at such a time, but I would only do so if the person was willing. I refused to take anyone by force and I only took the bare minimum needed to stay alive. And those feedings were few and for between. When I wasn't feeding, I refused to see anyone else, not Valentin, not Alexandre or Lance. I tried to escape several times, still intending to warn my family, but each time I was caught and brought back to Valentin, who would punish before letting me go my own way. Eventually, he realized that nothing he could do would change me, and he still had four more people to turn.

"My turning made me far more isolated from the others then it had previously. For the first two years of my life, I refused to talk to anyone. However, over time, I began to feel lonely, some desire for contact with the outside world. And strangely, I found it in Lance."

"Lance helped you?" said Josef, with evident skepticism, "Are we talking about the same Lance who serves as an enforcer for Alexandre, the one who probably has less qualms about killing people than I do?"

"How could you trust him after what he did to you?" said Mick, in surprise.

"I did live with my resentment, Mick. For nearly two years, it ate at me, slowly destroying me from the inside out, until I realized that it was useless to feel such things. An eternity with such bitterness only leads to pain and does nothing to which you hold a grudge against. Henri is proof enough of that, though I shall come to him soon. And despite what you might think, Lance is not all bad. Well, perhaps badder when viewed from human standards, but among his trusted friends (which are few even I will admit), he can be liberal enough. He helped me more than Valentin ever did in truly making the transition.

"But there was something that I did not tell even Lance for a very long time, almost until it was too late. Despite the fact that some aspects of being a vampire came easier to me after a time, I still had a yearning within me to be human once more. And so, I began to experiment. I had always been interested in the medicinal arts, and I began to wonder, if perhaps there might be some way to reverse the effects of being a vampire. I read everything I could about vampires, and their weaknesses, trying to work out any possible truth behind the myths which had grown up around our kind. What I found astonished me, for there was one possible which seemed to work: garlic, I discovered, was actually something which effected vampire physiology, and there was one kind in particular which seemed to reverse the effects entirely. For nearly fifty years, I worked on it in secret, until I finally came up with a compound that seemed to work. But before I could test it for certain, the Revolution put an end to all my plans."

"That's still the part which confuses me." said Beth, "Karlie and I researched your past, and found your name on a list of suspects put out by the Committee of Public Safety. How did you come to be an enemy to both sides?"

"And I for one would like to know who killed your sire, if you actually didn't do it yourself." Said Josef.

Carlisle was silent for a moment, before he finally admitted. "Henri was the one who engineered Valentin's murder. I could never have done such a thing, even if I was not able to forgive Valentin for a very long time for the deception he played not just against me, but against my entire family. He was still my sire; it would have been like killing my own father. However, Henri had no such feelings. And perhaps he was justified. I had, at least, some idea of what had happened to me when I was turned. Henri did not even have that.

"He was the last to be turned of any of us, and even when he was human he was volatile, violent. He spent his whole life watching his family disappear, never to be heard from again, and heard all the rumors that our family was cursed. Such a thing would have shaken even the steadiest of men, but he was always fragile. There was some debate in the family as to whether he was even worth turning. Valentin was obsessed with the idea of turning all of us, so of course the majority of the family sided with him. Only Lance and I held out against him. But in the end, it did no good. Valentin had his way, and he turned Henri without even giving him a choice or the knowledge of what he would become."

This part of the story was met with a dark silence which seemed to last for a very long time. They all knew what the consequences of such a violent turning could be, especially Mick, who was beginning to understand just what type of background Coraline and Carlisle had come from, and wondering how one could be so blind to what she must have seen first hand, and how the other could have turned out so well.

Frederic was obviously disgusted. "I always believed Valentin to be a fool, but this proves him to be devoid of compassion as well. Now, I think that the fruits of his labor are bearing nothing more than pain and hatred."

"They have born fruit before this, I fear." Said Carlisle, sadly, "Henri's bitterness and violence did not lessen after the first year, if anything, they only seemed to increase. It eventually got to the point where Valentin had to imprison him for fear that the secret would be revealed. But Henri did not care what happened to any of us at all. He only wanted his revenge. He wants all of us dead, but he wanted to start with Valentin first. He waited and bided his time, until the Revolution happened. He must have somehow told the Republicans about Valentin, for Valentin was the first to die at the guillotine's blade. That led to the whole revelation of vampires in France, and massive hunts were undertaken to try and find as many there were, as well as anyone giving them safety.

"When the Revolution dawned, I was actually a supporter of the Republicans. I had seen over a hundred years of the rapacious French court, the greed of the nobles who smashed anyone lower then themselves into the ground and the suffering of the common folk because of that. I truly believed that the Revolution would lead to a new dawn for France, when in which everyone would have a voice and kings would rule by the consent of the people. I thought that the nobles would have their eyes opened and start to treat those beneath them better. I thought that everyone would simply be able to get along better." He shook his head. "What a naïve fool I was back then, before too long I started to see that the Revolution was becoming warped and twisted, as were the minds of the men who ran it. What started as a beautiful ideal degenerated into a bloodbath which ensnared the innocent far more than the guilty. But, all it took was me preaching moderation one time, and I was instantly put under suspicion, not the least because I was still an aristocrat, no matter how I disguised myself. It was at that point that I decided to take action.

"I knew that soon my family might be under investigation, and that if that happened, the secret of their true identity might be discovered. But I did have a way to at least give them a chance. I told Alexandre what I had been doing with the compound. He was not happy to hear of my activities, but he eventually agreed that if the Duvall line were to continue, then we would all have to avoid suspicion."

Carlisle went over to the bookshelf that stood in one corner of the room. Withdrawing an immense and heavy book from its bottom shelf, he brought it over to the assembled company and set it down on the table beside the bed. It was an encyclopedia of art, and he opened a page which he seemed to have looked over many times before. "I would like you all to look at this, and tell me if you recognize anyone."

In turns, the book was passed around and they all stared long and hard at it. It was a picture of a banquet scene from the early 1790's. The artist was unknown and the title of the painting was _The Last Triumph of the Seven Siblings_. After a moment of staring at it, Mick said, "Is that Coraline?"

"Yes, that's her." said Carlisle, "Quite the beauty she was, even then. Though I must say that I am glad the hair went out of style. it was exceedingly uncomfortable, especially since I wasn't always sure if there was anything actually living in it."

Josef, Karlie and Frederic also looked at the painting. "I see you and Lance." Said Josef, "The rest of them are the other siblings aren't they."

Carlisle nodded. "That was taken the first night we took the compound, the first time in nearly a hundred years when we were able to eat food again. Alexandre made a toast to or sire, saying that he would have been proud to see that we were taking our survival into our own hands, even so soon after his death. There is only one original of that painting in the entire world, and it is in Aleixandre's private collection. That was the last time that we were all together. I have not seen any of them but Coraline in over 300 years."

Karlie looked at Carlisle. "What made you leave?"

"That night, after the banquet, I received word that the Republicans, angered by my words and actions, were going to arrest me before dawn. I knew then that, vampire or human, my presence would be nothing but a danger to my family. So that night, I left France, and managed to get passage for England. I had not intended to stay away for so long; I thought that things in France would die down, eventually. But soon, rumors started coming to me from over the waters, that said I was the one who had killed my sire, and in return I had been granted safe passage to England, and fleeing the wrath of my family into the bargain. That began my life of wondering. I went to America, where things seemed so much simpler and freer. But I still knew that I would have enemies here, and I never stayed in one place for to long and never tried to reach out to anyone." He looked at Amanda and smiled, "Until one day, in 1856, when I walked into a saloon in the Old West and realized that I couldn't be alone anymore."

Amanda returned the smile. Everyone in the room would have to have been blind to miss the obvious connection that between them. Carlisle soon continued. "I thought that I could leave my past behind me, and I was successful for a long time, until I came out here, and my past followed me." He looked at all of them, and in particular Josef and Frederic, the two that he knew he had to convince the most. "That is my defense, plain and simple. Is that enough for your suspicion against me to lift?"

The two eldest vampires in the room were silent for many tense moments. It made sense that they would not make an immediate answer. That wasn't their way in the first place. But also, everything they had thought to be true had just been refuted before them, and in such a way that it would have been rather difficult for them to try and condemn him. But the truth was that, Carlisle had convinced even Josef, the last hold out who was prepared to believe in his innocence. The story had been told calmly, though the emotions which it had inspired in Carlisle were genuine. Josef had been around long enough to know when such things were feigned, or when someone was lying. Now, it seemed to him that the idea of willfully deceiving anyone to do them harm was a skill that Carlisle did not possess.

He was still contemplating this when Frederic spoke. "You have me convinced, Carlisle. The only miracle that I would need convincing of is how someone sired by Valentin could have turned out to be as selfless as you."

All eyes turned to Josef. "I think that the public opinion is against me, so there is little I could do even if I wanted too. For someone who's waited three hundred years to finally state the truth, you did a good job."

"They are things that have too long been wanting to be said." Said Carlisle.

"Well, I for one am glad that this mess is cleared up." Said Karlie, "Now that we know who t blame for everything, could we please get back to the business of trying to defeat the vampire who is trying to kill everyone."

"As always, you are the voice of reason, my darling." Said Josef, "It seems that we need a plan."

"If I may," said Carlisle, "I think that I have a way to start that. I've found a way to reverse the effects of the mind wiping agent that my brother used against Karlie. If you can remember those things, it might give some indication of what Henri is planning and with whom."

It was a new idea for some of them, to accept help from a member of the Duvall line; however, it also seemed to make perfect sense. Carlisle's innocence was assured, and now it was time for them to fight back against Henri.

* * *

Please, read and review.

Next chapter: Now that the true culprit has been revealed and Carlisle's true innocence established, our heroes can finally mount as offense against Henri. But when an unexpected phone call comes to Carlisle, just how exactly will that change the balance?


	30. Plan Formation

Plan Formation:

According to Carlisle, the drug which had erased so many key events in the last few weeks had actually merely repressed them. The drug which Henri had created did not dissipate the longer it was in the body, and continued working long after the initial injection. He had managed to find a way to counteract the effects of the drug. Karlie volunteered to go first, though when she found out that the drug would be administered by injection, she suddenly seemed very keen to have it taken out of the room.

In the privacy of the kitchen which had seen very busy service tonight, Carlisle took out what he needed, while Karlie looked around her at the various items of medical equipment which were scattered all over the place. "If I may ask, where do you get all of this?"

Carlisle smiled. "A little bit of money and knowing the right people in the right places, it's not all that difficult. I like having something to occupy my time. And since this space would be going to waste anyway." He brought over the medication which would reverse the dampening compound which had been injected into Karlie's system a few weeks before. "It seems only fitting that you should be the first one to receive this, since you were the first to have it injected into your system."

"Why do I always end up with all the luck?" muttered Karlie, eying the needle which Carlisle was filling with a clear solution from a small bottle. She looked none to sure of the procedure and asked after a moment, "Isn't there any other way I could be getting this?"

"No other way would be faster." Said Carlisle, as he moved towards her arm with the needle, but Karlie unconsciously flinched. He paused and looked at her, "Is everything all right?"

Karlie hesitated before answering, "I don't like needles."

Carlisle tried to hide a smile, "You're a vampire with heightened sense and strength and you're afraid of needles?"

"I know, I know, it's stupid, but I don't like needles and I never have. Can we just get this over with?"

"Of course, don't worry it won't hurt, though I must warn you, there might be some rather intense sensory experiences once your memory is restored." Despite his assurances and her logical mind telling her that there was really nothing to worry about, Karlie still couldn't look when he injected the solution into her arm.

Almost immediately, memories that had long been repressed by the drug which had been injected into her system by Henri were released. She remembered distinctly the evening when she had been alone in the mansion, the sense of the robbery taking place, seeing the three intruders gathered around Josef's desk and being grabbed and staked from behind. And she also remembered very clearly the voice of her attacker, which could only have been Henri.

Carlisle had been right that the force of the memories might be overpowering. For a moment, she really couldn't put together a coherent sentence. "I take it worked?" He said.

"Yeah, I think it did." said Karlie, gasping, "I think that this will definitely be a help for both Josef and Mick."

"Then we should probably give it to them."

When Mick and Josef were given the compound, the effects were very much the same for them as it had been for Karlie. Mick remembered clearly the night when he had been abducted by Henri, and Josef remembered at last the first clue which led them to a breakthrough.

"It was Tina Ferris who was driving the car that night." He said, to the others when he remembered, "She was meeting Henri, they were discussing the future plans for killing Amanda and kidnapping Karlie and Beth the same night."

"Yes, that makes sense." Said Amanda, "When I went out to meet Tina that night of the warehouse fire, there was nothing amiss, and when I asked her about it, she got this smirk on her face and then someone grabbed me from behind and stabbed me with a stake."

"She's also the only one in the community who would be able to figure out how to get into Josef's mansion. The Cleaners are the only ones besides me and Josef to have the access codes." Said Karlie.

"But what could she hope to gain by helping Henri?" asked Frederic.

"Tina has always been something of a rebel." Admitted Karlie, "She is always contradicting Josef, questioning his orders. She's said multiple times that she thinks he's too soft."

"And I do think that sometimes she wants more power in the city, and that she would be able to accomplish that better if she were the only Cleaner present." Said Amanda, "She is older than me by at least 150 years, and I believe she might resent me for how young I am."

"So, in her quest for more power, she does not consider what might happen to others, and runs the risk of exposing all of us." Frederic shook his head, "It's more than a little disappointing to see that in a Cleaner, the very ones we trust with maintaining that cloak of secrecy every day."

"It does not matter why she did it, she has to be stopped." Josef growled, his temper having been roused with the memories he now possessed. He had never liked Tina, but he had always thought her to be trustworthy. This breech of trust was too much for him. "I will not have her harming anyone again. I will not have her running around with enemies, and I will _not_ allow her to harm Karlie again."

"Josef, calm down." Said Karlie, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Running out and killing her now isn't going to help matters. She may be our only link to finding out what Henri is up to, and how to stop him. We need her alive."

"For now." Said Josef, with a deadly chill in his voice and a dark light in his eyes. It was unspoken that while he agreed with Karlie's statement, when she had served her purpose, Tina Ferris would face his wrath and it would most likely end with her head getting torn off.

But at least now they had a plan and some way to proceed. They knew they had to trap Tina somehow, and use her to get close to Henri. However, Fredric suggested that should wait until they had all gotten some rest. The events of the past twelve hours had been harrowing and exhausting for them all. They all agreed to this. Josef, Karlie and Frederic would return to the mansion and come back later the next evening. Mick, however, refused to leave Beth while she was incapacitated. Carlisle said he was welcome to stay with him and Amanda, as he had a spare freezer.

Once they had left, there was only Carlisle, Amanda, Mick and Beth in the house. And Carlisle decided to give them time to themselves. He quietly left the house, and walked down to the lake which was on one side of property. Walking out onto the dock which extended out onto the water, he breathed deeply the scent of the air, watching as the night sky went from dark purple with a few stars still in sight directly above him, while to the east, the first hints of dawn were starting to pain the horizon a pale pink.

Carlisle knew that Mick would look after Beth even better than he would. After all, he had been doing it nearly all of her life. He couldn't help regretting the part which his sister had played in bringing them together. The very implications of what Coraline might have done if Mick had not gotten there in time made him feel physically ill. Coraline had never been good at considering what consequences her actions might have had. He also could tell that his involvement in that particular scheme was yet unknown to them both. He was still debating whether or not it would be wise to tell them, but he had decided for the time being that it would be best to focus on taking of Henri before he had another major confession.

And, of course, taking care of Henri evoked a whole other set of emotions which produced a sour taste in his mouth. He had once hoped that Henri could be changed, that he would not have to languish in his self-made hell. But, he had seen the look in his brother's eyes, and knew that he was beyond any help. He knew the course that needed to be taken. More people would die unless Henri was stopped, and there was always the chance that humans would become unnecessarily involved with it. Carlisle knew that Henri would have to die, but that did not mean that he still feel the sting on conscience at the thought of killing his brother.

The sound of his cell phone broke into his thoughts. He looked at the caller ID, but it was an unknown number. Curious and also cautious, he held the phone to his ear and said, "Hello, who is this?"

"Carlisle, brother, it has been far too long since I heard your voice."

For a moment, Carlisle was too shocked to respond. He should have suspected that Henri's activities would have garnered attention; he should have known that Alexandre would send someone to take care of him. And yet, he had not heard the voice of another of his brothers for so long, that the sound momentarily made him speechless. "Lance," he was finally able to say, "is that you?"

Lance chuckled on the other end, and for those who were normally familiar with the normal tone of Lance's voice would have been able to hear that there was something different about it in the way that he addressed Carlisle. The usual sardonic edge (which was a part of Lance's personality and which could never be fully banished) was softened a little and there almost seemed to be a note of relief in the voice, as if he were actually rather glad to be talking to Carlisle, though he would perhaps never have admitted it to anyone. "Why sound so surprised, Carlisle? Considering the circumstances, you've surely must have thought that Alexandre wouldn't let this go for very long."

Carlisle had managed to recover somewhat from his shock at this point and he finally said, "You know very well you could have disposed of him without contacting me. The very fact that you are calling me suggests to me that you want to speak to me about something."

"We have not seen each other in over three hundred years, Carlisle; should it not be right that I want to drop in and say hello?"

"You've said hello. But I know you, Lance. And after all these centuries, I doubt that you have changed. You would not call me just to say hello."

Lance was silent for a moment. Then he laughed, "And you have not changed from the shrewd judge of nature that you always were, Carlisle, whether it be for human or the unliving. Of course, I have another reason to speak to you. I assume you know that you have settled in a very dangerous place considering who the Elder of Los Angeles is. Josef Koston is no friend to the Duvalls. When I saw him a few years ago, he practically tore my head off. And considering you're past reputation, however innocent you and I know you are, may not sit to well with him should he find out you're here."

"He does know I'm here."

"Really? Considering you're still alive, that's very surprising. We've been keeping an eye on him for the past few days. You know that there was a fire down at Dashwood's. There has been nothing very definite in the media, but there have been rumors that Karlie Dashwood was killed in the blast. Would you know anything about that?"

"Henri set that fire to cover his tracks. Karlie is alive and well. What's more, Josef and his sire both trust me now, at least, more than they did before."

Not many things could catch Lance off-guard. However, when he heard this, there were several moments of silence before he spoke again. " Well, this is a new development. You have finally managed to tell someone the truth of your life, haven't you?"

"Actually, they weren't the first, but Josef is undoubtedly the most important."

"Well, I suppose I should be thanking you, you have made my job infinitely easier. I thought I might have to deal with Josef and Henri, which would have most likely ended in an unholy mess. Thanks to you, we might have avoided several unpleasant scenes."

"So, I take it you are here in LA right now. When might I be expecting a visit from you?"

"Oh, I'd say any time tomorrow night. We need our sleep too."

"I should warn you that I have a house guest, and I don't think Mick St. John will find it very easy to welcome you."

"Don't tell me you're entertaining our sister's ex, now?"

"It's Beth Turner actually."

"The human he's now seeing?" Lance laughed once more, "That soft sport you had for the humans has not changed has it?"

"She was badly hurt, Lance. I was the only one who could help her."

"Yes, yes." Said Lance, dismissing the matter with more nonchalance that Carlisle would have liked, but since it would have been useless for him to argue, Carlisle decided to let it just drop. "Do what you think necessary regarding that. But you may be sure to see us very soon."

"Us? Who else did Alexandre send with you?"

"Oh, well, it was going to be just me, but there is another person who has been most anxious to meet you for quite some time, and so she insisted on coming."

"If it's who I think it is, I look forward to making her acquaintance."

"In that case, we shall see you soon."

Lance hung up. Carlisle was left on his own to watch the ascending dawn, wondering how best to bring up this new twist in the case. He caught her scent before he saw her face. Her arms came around his shoulders and she said, "I wondered where you were hiding."

He turned around to look at Amanda. "I needed some time alone."

Amanda put her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his. "I just wanted to let you know, I was proud of you in there. I think this will be the last time anyone judges you on rumors and hearsay."

"I hope you're right, Amanda." said Carlisle.

Amanda stared at him. "Carlisle, are you all right? You seem a bit distracted."

Carlisle beamed her a rather ironic smile and said, "Tell me, Amanda, how would you like to meet my family?"

* * *

How would you like to meet the family, indeed. Amanda will certainly have a lot to deal with when it comes to in-laws like the Duvalls. Anyway, we now have a suspect in the case, and things are moving forward. Please read and review.

Next chapter: Tina learns the consequences of consorting with enemies, when she encounters something far more terrifying then any of Henri's mad rages, three vampires with close ties to people she has hurt and no intention of showing mercy.


	31. Interragation

Interrogation:

There were many things that should have tipped Tina Ferris off. She had been a Cleaner in LA for over fifty years. She knew who the vamps were who made the calls for clean ups, she knew more who didn't require her services but came to her for information that only she could provide. She also knew where the hotspots were for vamp kills and the peak seasons for them to occur. Rush week at the college campuses was one, another was the gang riots that occasionally spiraled out of control when vampires became involved in the seedier parts of town. However, she had never had a call anywhere near the vamp club known as Twilight and Dusk. She perhaps should have known that something was up when she received a call about a kill having been made there by a voice that should have sounded very familiar.

So why didn't she? The only answer is that sometimes even a pro slips up. Sometimes, such a slip up can be easily overlooked, merely remembered as a lesson for the future. But this time was very different. Sometimes, in vampire circles, and especially where Cleaners were concerned, a single slip up could turn into a fatal mistake.

Tina came to the club at half past ten. She had been told that there was a body in the alley behind the club. So told her crew to see to it, and then decided that she wanted to have a word with the owner of Twilight and Dusk. This was a high profile area of town, and though a call had never come from this place before, she just wanted to be sure that it didn't become a habit.

Inside, the party of the night was just beginning for the vampire population. There were several vampires scattered around the bar, some of them feeding off of freshies. Others were already in the dance floor, swaying and grinding to the music of some new hot band. She saw George, the bar's owner attending to some costumers. He met her stern eyes, and his first reaction was one of shocked surprise. Tina was known to him but only as a costumer, she had never come in her official capacity, and frankly, he had hoped never to see her in that mode. She could be somewhat frightening.

However, a Cleaner in any capacity could not be ignored. So, once George had finished with his costumers, he came over to her. "Good evening, Tina, is there something I can help you with?"

"George, you're a respected member of the community, and your record is spotless. Therefore, I shall make this brief. I know that you can't technically be responsible for the vampires who attend this establishment, but I do hope that this will be a one time incident."

George's face was totally blank. "What are you talking about?"

"I am referring to the call I had only twenty minutes before. There's been a kill in the alley behind your bar, George. Some vamp, who, I might add, sounded very drunk, just told me that he had slashed open and drained one the freshies who works here. I can't help that, accidents happen. But still, George, you have to be aware of what your customers are doing, and if any of them are dangerous, keep them away from freshies."

George just kept staring at her in evident confusion, but also mounting anger. "Look, Tina, I don't know if this is your idea of a joke, but I am not amused. Don't you think I watch out for my team? The freshies who work here trust me to look after them and I do. I keep a close watch on all my vamp customers. I have a strict policy that if any of them have had more than five drinks, they can't drink off the freshies. What's more, I don't know who made that call, but I was just out in the alley and there is no body there. I would have known if something like that had happened at my bar and I can tell you nothing like that has ever happened here, and it certainly didn't happen tonight."

Now it was Tina's turn to look a little confused. "But I got a call. Someone said there had been a kill."

"Someone is probably pulling your leg, Tina."

Before Tina could respond, the two vampires suddenly became aware of the fact that a new presence had joined the conversation. "He's right, Tina. Someone is pulling your leg and the joke I on you."

Tina and George saw Mick St. John approaching them, looking grim and serious. "Mr. St. John, what do you think you're doing?" Tina demanded, "You should know better than to interfere with a Cleaner affair. This doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but I'm afraid it does, Tina, me and several others. You have a lot of explaining to do." He looked at George. "Sorry I had to bring you into this, George, but we needed to get Tina out here. Josef says that he will take all the responsibility should your good name be tarnished."

Tina felt a chill of fear when she heard Josef's name, but she tried to hide it. "Josef? What does he have to do with this?"

"I think you know." said Mick, dangerously, "Let me enlighten you about how this will go, Tina. I made that call, because there are several people who want to talk to you, about a little matter of treason."

"Treason? I don't know what you're talking about."

"We'll see about that."

At this moment, one of Tina's crew entered the establishment, and came up to her. "Hey Tina, we didn't find anything. There's no body, no blood, not even the lingering trace of a kill. It must have been a false alarm."

Tina's eyes widened and she swing her gaze around to Mick. It was only when she saw his eyes that she began to understand that she had fallen into a trap, and she was powerless.

"You won't be reporting to Tina anymore." said Mick, "She's been relieved as Cleaner until further notice."

"How dare you!" Growled Tina, "You don't have the authority to do such a thing."

"He might not, but I do." This new voice caused Tina's blood to run cold. She did not even turn to look behind her at the woman in black leather that had just appeared behind her, and was staring with accusatory eyes. How had she survived? It should have been impossible. She had seen the burned out hulk of the warehouse herself, no one, least of all a vampire should have been able to survive that.

"Surprised to see me, Tina?" said Amanda, with a vicious smirk. "I no doubt think that you thought me dead, burned to death in that fire you lured me into. Well, to bad for you, I had a knight in shinning armor to save me. Unfortunately, there will be no one to help you." She turned to the stupefied crew man, who had been under the impression that Amanda was dead. "I will explain everything, Paul. But come on, I believe we have a clean up to attend too on the south side." She looked once more at Tina, who still had not been able to look at her. "Good-bye, Tina. Have fun."

Tina turned a look on him with flaming eyes, and made a step, as if preparing to rip her head off, but Mick's firm grip on her shoulder stopped her. "Now, none of that." he said, "Josef is waiting to speak with you. And he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Tina, knowing that further protest or resistance would prove useless, followed Mick. But, tough as she was, as many things as she had seen, for some reason, the very idea of facing Josef when he was angry made her frightened beyond anything she could imagine.

Josef had reserved the balcony space for that particular evening. There was only him, Frederic and a few of his guards hovering around the edges of the balcony, but they had been given strict orders not to interfere unless it was absolutely necessary for them to do so. Josef had worked himself into a cold rage over the past twenty-four hours, and it was fortunate that he had Frederic there to calm him down, or he would have torn off Tina's head the very instant that she stepped foot on the balcony. As it was, he could not keep himself from gripping the balcony so hard that it nearly broke. Tina could feel the anger radiating off of him, slow and immense waves, like the feeling a heavy storm in the air about to break, and she quailed for a second in fear. But Mick pushed her forward and into a chair.

For a few seconds no one said anything. As the Elder of Los Angeles, it was Josef's right to make the first move, neither Frederic, nor Mick had the right to do so. At last Josef spoke. "Tell me you didn't have anything to do with the break-in at my mansion, Tina. Tell me that you're not the reason my wife could have died. It will make this go so much easier." His voice seemed calm at first, but the more he spoke, the more could be heard the slight edge coloring his words. Tina felt as though his voice was shoving several hot pin pricks into her skin, and she squirmed uneasily. This was almost as disturbing as a fully vamped out and snarling Josef.

Josef had not turned to look at her all this time, but now he did, and if she had though his voice to be disturbing, it was nothing compared to his eyes. They were dark and angry, with a promise of death hanging not distant in them. And yet, for all that, she could not look away from them, so hypnotic was the gaze. Josef had long been a master at using the vampire art of seduction. But sometimes, he used it for darker purposes. Right now, he wanted his enemy fully in his power.

"But you can't tell me that, can you?" he asked her coldly, "Because you know what I'm talking about and you can't defend yourself."

"What is this about, Josef?" asked Tina, trying to put up a brave front, "I haven't done anything against you."

Josef snarled and grabbed her by the shoulders. His face was mere inches from hers, "Do not give me that, Tina." He emphasized each word, "Answer the questions that I asked of you, or I promise, I will make this very unpleasant for you. You've seen me at work, and you know my reputation. Do not think you will escape from me if you do not cooperate."

He stepped back and looked at Mick. "Where should we start, Mick?" he asked, almost casually. "Any ideas, you are the P.I. after all. You have the most experience interrogating the bad guys."

"I think that it always best to start at the beginning when working these things out." said Mick, who was just as angry as Josef, only instead of being dark and threatening, there was an obvious sense of irony to it. There was almost a dark humor in the way that he was going about this. This was a side of Mick and Josef that not many people saw, and which even Josef tried to keep hidden. They were powerful vampires, even if Mick was younger and tried not to show it as much as Josef did. The darker side of vampirism, the quicker reaction time to anger and the violence which could attend to such actions were present in every vampire. It was never a smart idea to let these emotions have full sway. But sometimes, allowing them to show just a little bit more could be very useful.

Tina had thought she had been in trouble with Josef, now she found that her situation had just gotten worse. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed hard.

"Now, Tina, I'm going to be asking you a few questions?" said Mick, coldly, "Keep your answers simple and this will be much less painful for all of us. When was the first time that Henri Duvall contacted you?"

Tina, feeling the pressure, panicked and went for the answer that her instinct immediately told her. "I don't anyone by the name of Henri Duvall?"

Josef snarled and Mick growled. But it was the calm, but deadly voice of Frederic speaking from the corner that really broke the last wall of Tina's defenses. "Now, now, Josef, Mick, there is no need to resort to violence in order to get this woman to talk." Frederic did not move from his place, and Tina was only able to see him out of the corner of her eye, but what she saw was enough. Indeed, Frederic was far more effective merely being still then he would have been any other way. "Tina, I suppose that you know I am Josef's sire. I am over six hundred years old, and I have interrogated vampires far more threatening then you, and far more powerful. I know how to get people to talk, no matter what they might want to hide."

Tina may have been overwhelmed by Josef's age, but when she heard Frederic's voice, she felt like her senses were being completely overwhelmed. She had always been the kind who prided herself on her age, and looked down on anyone else because they had only lived decades and not centuries as she had. That was why she did not like Karlie Dashwood, why she had no objected when Henri told her that he was going to use her as well as Beth Turner in his plot against Mick and Josef. She did not think that one so young should have the responsibility and that Josef was a fool for trusting her with so much. However, when she felt the weight of Frederic's six hundred odd years pressing down on her, she suddenly felt that she was no better than one of the younglings she so often leered down at. Suddenly, all of her 275 years meant nothing at all.

"Don't make me employ those methods." Said Frederic, warningly, "I warn you they can be far uglier than any physical violence Josef could employ. Vampires as old as me can get inside your mind, make you feel as though your skin is burning off without any chance of dying to end the pain. We have other abilities that I would prefer not to go into, but I will use them, if you force me too."

Tina got the feeling that he wasn't bluffing. She was though with trying to hide. She had been beaten. "Henri contacted me six months ago."

"Now, that's more like it?" said Mick, "See, it's not so hard is it? What did he say to you?"

"He said that he needed my help, planning something. He never went into a lot of details on it, but I could tell he never really liked you, St. John, or you Koston."

"The feeling is mutual, go on. What did this plan entail?"

"He wanted my help getting into the Koston mansion, creating disturbances around the city. When he found out his brother Carlisle was here, he also asked for my help in pinning all of the blame on him."

"So you admit that you deliberately put the Elder of this city in danger?" said Mick.

"Of course not. Josef wasn't even there, Karlie wasn't even supposed to be there. It's not my fault that anything happened to her."

Josef growled and his eyes went silver. He did not like anyone putting Karlie in danger, and he especially hated it when someone tried to get out of it. "Don't give me that crap, Tina. I don't care if you even intended it; you were colluding with a dangerous vampire with declared intentions of killing anyone who stood in the way of his goals. That means you were an accessory of the crime and somehow I don't think it was accidental."

Tina, stung, momentarily forgot her fear and stared at Josef, haughtily, "You should know better than to trust anything to a weak youngling, Koston. Perhaps being in the way of danger will be a warning to Karlie in the future to keep her nose out of things that do not concern her and should only be in the province of her Elders."

She had said exactly the wrong thing. Before anyone could stop him, Josef had come up behind Tina, and was viciously twisting on her arms behind her back. Tina gasped in pain, feeling the bone in her arm close to breaking. "Don't you _ever_ say anything like that about Karlie, again." Snarled Josef, wrenching her arm even tighter, "I can break your arm in a minute, Tina, and make it look easy. And you should be grateful if I even leave you that easily."

"Josef," said Frederic, "let her go. Mick hasn't finished his interrogation yet and it would be quite rude for you to interfere before he is finished."

Josef seemed to consider this for a moment, before releasing Tina roughly and glaring at her with a look that sent chills down her spine, even from behind. "Verdammt Hundin." He spat in German, and Tina didn't really need to be well versed in the language to gain a rough idea of what he was saying.

"Now," said Mick, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. "Leaving aside any prejudices you might feel for younger vampires or humans, since I feel that they are about the same thing. What was in this for you?"

Tina looked up at Mick wearily, her arm and shoulder aching. She no longer had any fight in her, all she wanted was or this to be over. "He was going to help me get rid of Amanda, so that I could be the sole Cleaner in LA."

Mick and Josef exchanged glances. That alone would have been enough for them to execute Tina on the spot; however, they still had a use for her. "So, what's he planning next?" said Mick, "Perhaps if you help us, Josef here might go a bit easier on you."

Tina knew that she had used all of her chances. And any fear that she might have had Henri's mad rages now seemed nothing compared to the three vampires which were facing her. She had made her choices, and now she had to reap the consequences.

* * *

I have to admit, I get a wicked pleasure out of writing Mick and Josef just a little darker on occasion then what they normally were in the TV series. Hey, why like vampires if they can't be bad boys every once and a while? Please read and review.

Next chapter: Carlisle reveals one last secret to Mick and Beth about a role that he played in their past. And visitors will push the conflict into it's final phase.


	32. The Final Secret

For all you who wondered how Coraline survived the fire, here is your answer.

The Final Secret:

Carlisle had been tending to Beth's wounds over the past twenty-four hours, and he was already seeing definite improvement. Karlie had been there for several hours, providing companionship for Beth when she was awake, and simply watching out for her when she was sleeping. However, when Mick arrived after his interrogation of Tina Ferris, the plan changed.

"Henri has suspicions that the two of you didn't survive the fire." He said, "He might be coming here to make sure that he covered his tracks effectively. Beth can't stay here. Josef suggested that it might be best to move her out to the mansion until this thing is taken care of."

"That should be safe enough." Said Karlie, who had come to meet him at the door. "Now that Tina is in custody, there shouldn't be any problem with security. Did you learn anything else?"

"Yes, but Josef said he wanted to wait until all of us are together before he tells us the rest. Josef and Frederic are still processing Tina. They might be another hour."

"I should go to the mansion and get things ready. I'll call you when I'm ready for Beth. You should go up to her. She's been missing you all day." She then headed to her car.

Mick headed up the stairs. And when he got to the door, he was greeted by an odd sight. There was Beth, sleeping peacefully on the bed, with Carlisle hovering nearby. But when caught his attention was the large, black and brown dog, which was sitting by the bed, large head on Beth's hand and the tip of his tale wagging slightly. Mick could have sworn that there was an almost concerned look in the dog's eyes.

"Good evening, Mick." said Carlisle, "I trust your little meeting with Tina was productive."

"Uh, yeah, very." Said Mick, still taking in the dog.

Noticing his confusion, Carlisle went over to the dog and patted his head, "This is Felix, Mick. Don't worry, he's perfectly harmless." The dog looked at Mick, slightly suspicious, but he seemed totally unbothered by Carlisle's presence. In fact, when he heard his master's voice, he seemed to take comfort from it. This must be another one of those strange people like his master. And if he approved, than Felix was starting to learn that maybe they were all right.

"You have a pet?" said Mick, still slightly confused. "I thought animals were afraid of vampires?"

"Many are. But animals have been my friends throughout the centuries more than most vampires or people have been. I found Felix here about four years. Showed up on my doorstep, as a six-month-old puppy, starving, cold and shivering. He chose me, and I haven't regretted a day of it since."

Mick wasn't sure why he should be surprised. After all, Travis was practically a pet to him anyway. He told Carlisle what he and Josef had managed to get out of Tina during their interrogation. "Do you think Beth is well enough to be moved?"

"She should be." said Carlisle, "Just as long as it is done slowly and carefully. She will also need to be monitored. I believe that Josef will want me to help track down my brother. Are any of the freshies that he has able to do what is necessary?"

"I think one of them does, actually. She's a registered nurse, going to school to get her Ph.D."

"She should do. Have Josef put it down for some clinic experience." He began to check her vitals once more, remarking as he did so. "I imagine you could do this yourself, Mick. You always were rather good at it yourself if I recall rightly."

Mick sat down beside Beth. "Lieutenant David Clarkson?"

"Guilty as charged. You're name came as something as surprise to me when I first heard it, Mick. I didn't think that you would be the same Mick St. John turned by my sister."

"Do I want to ask how you survived?"

"I did not go out to get another soldier, Mick. However, things were getting just a little too close for me at the time. So, I rescued those soldiers that needed rescuing, and then went back out again. I used my vampire speed to escape the bullets that the Germans were firing at me, leaving behind my dog tags in the process. I made my way back to America from there, just in time to receive my dog tags my own nephew."

"Well, you were missed, Carlisle. Even if I didn't know you were a vampire, you were an inspiration to all of us."

Carlisle looked at him. "Thank you, Mick. That means a lot to hear you say that."

Suddenly Beth began to stir. She was moving and muttering a little in her sleep. When her eyes opened, they seemed wide and frightened. "Mick," she asked, looking around her, "Mick, where are you?"

'Don't worry, Beth," soothed Mick, "I'm right here."

Beth turned and looked at him and she seemed relieved. "I was having the same dream that I sometimes used to have. About the time that Coraline took me, the fire and you saving me. But it seemed different this time." Her gaze turned to Carlisle for a moment, her mind racing furiously over her dream. And then, it seemed as if there was a realization that dawned in her eyes. "It was you." she said, staring at Carlisle in shock, "You were there, weren't you? I remember you."

Carlisle didn't answer, but a troubled look flashed in his eyes, as he checked the last of Beth's vital signs. "Beth, what are you talking about?" asked Mick.

Beth continued looking at Carlisle, speculatively, "You were there, at the fire, when I was little. I remember seeing you when Coraline was burning, but you were in the background, in the shadows. You pulled her away."

Mick looked at Carlisle. Reading the question in both of their eyes, Carlisle said, "I will not deny it. I was there."

"What do you mean you were there?" said Mick, some former suspicion creeping into his tone. He didn't think that Carlisle could have anything to do with the terrible night when he had killed his own wife, but he wondered why Carlisle had never brought it up until now.

"Did you never wonder how exactly Coraline managed to escape that fire, Mick?" said Carlisle. "I was the one who saved her."

"You saved her?" said Mick, almost skeptically.

"Should that strike you as so very odd?"

"But how did you even know what was happening?" asked Beth.

"To be perfectly honest, I knew because Coraline told me. I was in practice in San Francisco at the time. Coraline called me and said that she would need my help for a particularly delicate planning that she was turning. I knew immediately that something bad was in the works. Coraline should be banned from turning people by Alexandre. She never has the foresight to see who will be suitable candidates for our way of life or not. And no, Mick, that is not a dig at you. But quite frankly, it was not Coraline that helped you to become a vampire, if what I have heard of you is true. It was Josef, Karlie and Beth here."

"If you don't approve of the people she turns, why on earth did you even support her in turning a child like me?" asked Beth.

"Beth, I had absolutely no idea that Coraline was planning to turn a child of all things. I went there that night thinking that I might be able to prevent her from turning another lover, but things did not go exactly how I had planned."

**FLASHBACK-CALIFONIA HIGHWAY, 1986**

Carlisle was hoping that he could just get this whole thing over with. Coraline had called him and told him where to meet her. She had sounded giddy, like a school girl at Christmas who was expecting many great presents to be under the tree. She had said that she would have a few people to introduce him too by the time that the evening was over. That alone would have been enough to set him on guard. He had come not because he would help Coraline in any of her disastrous turnings, but because he was hoping to persuade her to give up whatever foolhardy scheme it was that she was planning. Failing all that, he would just force her to abandon it and be done with it. Perhaps he was in voluntary exile, perhaps he had not seen his family besides Coraline in centuries, but he still knew that he had some power over Coraline, if nothing else because hew as older than her.

However, the very moment, he rolled up to the address, his heart sunk when he realized that things had just become a whole lot more complicated. The building where Coraline had said to meet him up was engulfed in an inferno of flames and smoke. Cursing silently, he made his way up to the back entrance of the house, where the flames were not so intense. He at least had to make sure that Coraline was all right.

He managed to get in with relatively little difficulty. He smelled Coraline in the midst of flames, and he questioned why she was staying. She knew the dangers of fire to a vampire and she would not have stuck around. But when he found her lying on the floor, surrounded by the flickering flames and smoke, he knew why she had not escaped. She had been stabbed through the heart with a stake and had been left to die.

Carlisle's first action was completely on instinct. He did not think of either who could have done such a thing or anger that whoever had done this to his sister had clearly meant her to die. Instead, he just knew that he had to save her. He reached down and grabbed the stake. Coraline let out a strangled gasp, her eyes for a moment, unfocused and confused. "Coraline," said Carlisle, "Coraline, it's me. You'll be all right. But, we have to get out of her. Can you stand?"

For a moment, Coraline did not answer, but then her eyes seemed to flare briefly with horror and desperation, as memories of what had occurred only minutes before came back to her. "Mick!" she cried, not even acknowledging Carlisle in her remembrance of her husband, "The girl!"

Without waiting to address Carlisle, she leapt to her feet, and, instead of following Carlisle away into the flames, she raced deeper into them, towards the door which led outside to the front of the house. Carlisle cursed yet again, and followed her. He should have known that Coraline would try to bring her precious Mick into this. He had never met Coraline's husband, he didn't even know his last name, but he knew enough from what Coraline had told him and what he heard from rumors to know that Coraline had made a major mistake when she turned him without his will and against his knowledge on their wedding night of all times.

He also knew that Coraline had a strange determination to hold onto him, even more so it seemed then most of her other toys. It was an obsession which he knew would bring nothing but trouble and that he was determined would end tonight.

He found Coraline up against the door, trying vainly to open it, for she weak from the flames and blood loss from the stake and her strength was not what it normally as. But that could not disguise the anger and desperation in her vamped out eyes, as she stared at the shadow of the departing man. Carlisle grabbed her by the shoulders and started to pull her back. "Coraline, come on." Coraline resisted, crying something that was unintelligible, but Carlisle was adamant. "Coraline, come with me now, or I'll either carry you or drag you out."

It was no idle threat. Coraline knew what her brother was capable of. Reluctantly, she let go of the door, never taking her eyes off the view on the other side. And right before they vanished around a corner, Carlisle could have sworn that he saw a small, white child cradled in Mick's arms, with golden hair and haunting blue eyes.

Carlisle managed to guide Coraline out of the house and to the car, right before the building collapsed from the blaze. He hustled her into the passenger seat and then got in himself. Gunning the engine, he drove away from the house and down the road. He didn't stop or slow down until they were a good distance from not only the fire, but the town of Los Angeles as well. Only then did Carlisle stop the car along the side of the highway and turn to look at Coraline. Now that the shock of seeing her about to be burned alive in a fire, he was starting to remember what had brought him to her rescue in the first place, and anger had replaced his feeling of concern.

For her part, Coraline could feel her brother's anger, and was looking down at her hands, like a naughty child who had just been caught doing something that she had specifically told not to do. "Coraline," he demanded, angrily. "What was this all about?"

"Carlisle, please I can explain-"

"What could you possibly have to explain? Coraline, you were nearly killed back there, and all for what? To try and get your precious Mick back? Honestly, Coraline, when are you going to let this go?"

"It was going to work this time, I know it was. I had something to give to Mick that would have made him forget everything and come back to me. We would have been a family together."

"A family? Just the two of you? That is absurd, Coraline, you two were never much of a couple in the first place, now you're trying to tell me that you could make him forget all of the abuse, all of the lies and deceit and just settle down with you as though nothing had ever happened?"

"It wouldn't have been like that. She would have brought us together; she would have helped us stay a family."

"She? What are you-" He then remembered the small child in white that he had seen huddled in Mick's arms, with her golden hair and frightened blue eyes. He stared at Coraline, horror joining with his anger as he began to understand just what sort of plan Coraline had had in mind this time. "Coraline, no, you weren't actually thinking… The girl? You were planning on turning a helpless child?"

"That's why I wanted your help, Carlisle. I needed you. You're the best doctor I know, and I knew that you would have been able to make sure that no harm came to her in the process of the turning; I would have even followed your advice if you told us to wait a few years. I wouldn't have done anything until you got there. It's Mick's fault, he couldn't see what a perfect opportunity this was. I kidnapped the girl of a single mother; no one would have known where we were going. Mick has always wanted children; I knew that this was perfect. But he insisted on putting some insignificant child ahead of his own wife's safety. He staked me and left me to die. He was more concerned about the child than about me. Carlisle can you believe that?"

Whatever Coraline might have been about to say next died on her lips when she saw the expression in Carlisle's eyes. He was staring at her with eyes that were filled with rage and disappointment, and it was clear he was trying to very hard to not allow the violence of his emotions to overpower him. He was gripping the steering wheel so hard that it was close to shattering, and the tension in his body had made him rigid. Coraline gulped. She knew of her brother's temper, and she had hoped that he would never be angry at her that way.

"Coraline, you fool!" said Carlisle, at last, the words growled out, low and quiet, but filled with menace. "You were going to turn a child! A child, Coraline! You know the rules, turning a child is dangerous and cruel. Either they don't survive the turning or they become so difficult to control in the course of a few years that they have to be humanely destroyed. Coraline, children do not understand what is happening to them when they are turned. It's not like turning an adult. Children don't have the capacity to comprehend what is happening to them, even if it's explained to them multiple times. Their strength frightens them, and they require more blood because of their developing state. But they cannot learn to feed or even hunt with any sense of control."

"But this would have been different." Coraline insisted.

"How? Are you still operating under some perverted idea that the world revolves around you and that just because you will something to happen it will happen?"

"You would have been there, Carlisle. You would have known what to do."

"Your confidence in me is overwhelming. But let me assure you, Coraline, if I had come before all this happened, I would not have assisted you. I would have helped Mick take the girl back to her mother where she belongs. And had you, heaven forbid, attempted the turning without waiting for me, I would done the only merciful thing and killed the child rather than allow her to live the life of one of us."

Coraline was completely shocked by what she had heard. She had been certain that Carlisle would see things her way, certain that he would have helped her. For a few seconds, she could not speak. But when she did, her voice came out as a vehement hiss. "Then I see we have nothing else to say to each other." She opened the car door, "Thank you for the ride."

Carlisle's hand shot out and pulled her back roughly into the car seat. Coraline saw that his eyes had gone silver and his fangs were showing. "You are not going anywhere." He said, coldly, his voice quivering with barely controlled venom. "You come back with me. You can stay the night at my house, because you can't very well get very far in your condition. But tomorrow, you will be on plane heading for Paris, or wherever else you like, so long as it is out the United States."

"But I have to-"

"What? Work some other idiotic scheme to get Mick back? Oh no, my dear Coraline. Mick obviously thinks your dead. It's best if you let him continue to think that. Both of you need to continue on with your lives."

"And if I refuse to follow your advice?"

"I would advise you strongly to stay, Coraline. Be grateful, then, that I will not tell Alexandre what you have attempted to do."

Coraline was fuming. Unfortunately, there was also very little that she could do. Carlisle was still her elder brother, and it was difficult to ignore the commanding tone that he used in his voice. He also wasn't kidding about telling Alexandre about her plan. And if Alexandre did find out, then the consequences would be dire. Perhaps it would be best to retreat to France and regroup. She did have time after all. Even now, she still believed that she and Mick were meant to be together. She just needed to make him see that.

However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't go quietly. "I thought that you would be sympathetic to me, Carlisle. I thought that you knew what love meant. I suppose that I was wrong. You don't know what it is like to love someone so much that you would do anything to be with them."

Carlisle growled warningly and stared at Coraline darkly. "Watch your words, Coraline. I have loved more deeply than you would are able to understand at this point. You don't know how much I would do to get her back, nor what I would risk to even catch a glimpse of her again."

Coraline knew better than to try and contradict her brother's words. She sensed in them a hint of truth which would have been dangerous to try and avoid. She merely nodded sullenly. And Carlisle, merely wanting this whole thing to be over, started the car and headed down the long, deserted road.

**END FLASHBACK**

Beth and Mick had been silent through the whole of Carlisle's narrative. However, when Carlisle had finished, Beth couldn't help but observe. "Coraline doesn't seem to leave many satisfied people in her wake, even those amongst her own family."

"I regret that you are right, Beth. Coraline is, unfortunately, fascinating to many members of the opposite sex. However, Mick was the first that she ever turned without at least attempting first to woo him to our way of life."

"I'm touched." Said Mick, "However, I can't feel anymore sympathy for Coraline, not after what she tried to do. I wonder that you can speak of her like that, so tolerably."

"You should know, Mick, that I don't regret saving Coraline, anymore that I blame you for trying to kill her. I don't condone any of the things that she has done to you or Beth, Mick, but Coraline is still my sister. That may not mean anything to you, but it means everything to me."

Mick, for all his anger against Coraline, could understand what Carlisle was trying to say. He could not deny that he would have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed. "I'm not trying to sound like I'm accusing you of anything. Coraline is done with in my life. I won't be sorry if I never see her again."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching vehicles. "That will be Guillermo with the ambulance." Said Carlisle, "Quite a bit faster than I thought he would be."

Mick had gotten to his feet and was looking out the window. "Looks like Josef is here, too. He'll want to bring you up to speed on what plans we've made." Said Mick. He looked at Beth, "I might be a couple of hours. Will you all be all right on your own?"

"Mick, I'll be at Josef's. I won't be unprotected, and I won't be alone. In case you've forgotten, I do have a lot of friends with the freshies who live at Josef's mansion."

"Besides, you still need your rest." Said Carlisle, "You won't be able to walk on that leg again for another few weeks."

"You just give me a chance and I'll be walking sooner than that." said Beth, with her customary gusto.

Carlisle smiled, and could not help but think that now Beth was all grown, she wouldn't actually make a bad addition to the immortal community. Of course, such a thing was not for him to decide. But it made him very glad that Beth had not been turned by Coraline as a child, but that she had come to find her soul mate in her rescuer.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Beth had been loaded up into the ambulance, ready to take her back to Josef's mansion. It was when the hustle and bustle was going on downstairs that Carlisle quietly separated himself. He had smelled a scent which was very familiar to him, but which he had not smelled for nearly three hundred years. Upstairs, in his private office, he stood silent for a few seconds, before he said, to the seemingly empty air. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"And was a part of you think that maybe I wouldn't and was relieved by that?" Came a voice from nowhere.

"I think you know me to well for that, brother." Said Carlisle.

The curtains at one end of the room moved and rippled slightly and the next moment, two vampires were standing in the room. One was the tall, black haired form of Lance. The other was a female vampire, with hair so blonde it was almost white, pale skin and grey eyes. She was ghostly, and lovely.

But it was to Lance that Carlisle looked first, and his gaze meant a great deal more to him at the moment. He knew that Lance was not sentimental, and neither was he. However, they had not seen each other for centuries; it would have been difficult for either of them to remain unmoved. At last, Lance came forward and put his hands on Carlisle's shoulders. There was an almost relieved look in his eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was softened and strangely happy. "Carlisle, it is good to see you again."

* * *

I hope that nobody will hate Carlisle for saving Coraline. I mean, I think that Carlisle being the decent guy he is, would have saved her regardless of whether or not he approved of Coraline's actions. I always feel that the bond between families is pretty strong, even if the family is a little too screwed up. besides, Coraline is such a fascinating character, it would have been a shame for her to die (I don't like her, but I do think that Shannon Sossaman doesn't get enough credit for playing her. Like all the members of the cast, she did an excellent job).

Anyway, I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas. Please consider this my little gift to each and every one of you. Please drop a review and tell me what you think.

Next chapter: The final phase of this story is about to begin. Now that Lance is here, things are going to start moving fast. But will Mick and Josef be receptive to his visit?


	33. Reunion

Reunion:

"I have been expecting you for quite some time now." Said Carlisle, "However, it might have been for the best that you did not come until now. Beth Turner is no longer in the house and I suspect that Mick would not have been happy with you had he found you here at the same time."

Lance did not seem to worry about the Beth's part in events. He seemed much more interested in what Carlisle had just said about Mick. "On first name terms with Mick St. John, you must have really found a friend in him."

"Lance, please, can we dwell on that part of the past we have in common with Mick. If we bring Coraline into this mess it will only make things worse."

"Of course, I have only one thing to tell Mick of Coraline, and then I will gladly let it slide."

"Perhaps, but for the moment, Lance, you are forgetting your manners." He looked at the female vampire. "Are you not going to introduce me?"

Lance turned to the woman, with a look that was the complete opposite of his normal harsh personality. Surprisingly, it was a look of tenderness and devotion, which seemed to be reflected in the ghostly, grey eyes of the woman. "This is my wife, Carlisle, Victorine Claremont."

Victorine glided forward and held out her hand to Carlisle. She might have been expecting handshake, but Carlisle had been raised in a court where courtesy was of the utmost importance. He took her outstretched hand and kissed in the Old World fashion. "Madame Claremont, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. I have heard much about you, from my sister."

"Ah, you flatter me, sir." Said Victorine, in a voice that was low and musical, "I know for a fact that Coraline does not think very highly of me."

"That is why I knew that I might be able to approve of you, because anything that my sister dislikes, I will probably find to me liking."

Victorine smiled, "The things that my husband speaks of you are very true, Carlisle. I only regret that certain things of the past have prevented us from being better acquainted."

Carlisle bowed in acknowledgement, an antique gesture but one that still held a great deal of significance for the Duvall line. Victorine seemed to smile in approval and turned to Lance. "You were quite right about him, Lance. It is a pity that he had to be separated from the rest of the family for so long."

"Yes, quite. But all of that changes tonight. I think you know why we are here, Carlisle. As much as I would like to sit and talk of old times, time is pressing. Do you happen to know anything that could be of use to us?"

"The best advice that I can give you, Lance, is work with Josef." Lance looked he was about to object, but Lance cut him off, "He has far too much invested in this affair, as does Mick. If you try to keep them off, I can promise you that they will go their own way. If that happens, the result could very well be what Henri is planning, a conflict between you and Josef will only end in disaster you know that."

"Josef has to understand that this is a family affair, it does not concern him."

"Really, it doesn't concern me how, Lance?" Josef's voice interrupted the conversation. He had just entered the room with Karlie, Frederic and Mick in tow, and he did not look happy to see Lance there, or Victorine. "When were you going to tell me about you're little family reunion, Carlisle?" he asked, archly.

"If I had, do you think that you would have trusted me?" asked Carlisle, pointedly.

"Probably not." Replied Josef, after a moment. "Maybe I can't blame you. If I had the same relatives as you, I would have wanted to keep them a secret, as well."

"Josef…" said Frederic, warningly, who did not like the Duvalls anymore than Josef did (well, except for Carlisle, but he was clearly an exception to the rule), but knew that it would also be foolish to come into conflict with Lance. However, Josef did always possess the wisdom of his sire. Sometimes, he far preferred to use force and ask questions later.

"Josef, honestly, did you think you could keep us away?" said Lance, rather sarcastically.

"I had hoped that I might be able too." Said Josef, "Henri has stopped foot on my turf and hurt my people and I am not going to let him get away with it!"

"He is not under your authority to control!" Shot back Lance, "In fact, if I recall rightly, Alexandre gave you direct advice to stay out of this."

"If you honestly think that I am going to listen to anything that Alexandre says than you obviously know nothing about me." said Josef, "If you want me to back off now, than you'll have to force me."

Lance's eyes went silver and he growled at Josef, "Perhaps I should. It's been awhile since we went head to head, Josef. I wonder if you are still in fighting form."

Josef had already vamped, but Karlie was quicker to take a step forward. "You want him, Lance, you'll have to go through me first."

Victorine almost immediately stepped up, flanking Lance and facing Karlie like a snarling panther, her silver eyes lending her an almost elfin like appearance to her pale skin and near silver hair. "Come closer, and we shall see who will have the most trouble. Be careful, fashion plate, or you might break nail."

There could very well have been a vamp fight breaking out between the four vampires, mate against mate, as they snarled and snapped at each other. But then, Carlisle was standing between them, in such a way that it would have been impossible for either side to make a move without going through him. "Stop this!" He cried, desperately, the pleading in his voice and eyes obvious. "Enough. Can't you see? If Henri were here, he would be congratulating himself on his victory. He didn't have to do anything to destroy to get you to destroy yourselves after all. You do it yourselves."

The four vampires paused when they heard these words, and though they remained in their vampire form, yet Carlisle could tell that he was getting through to them. "Look, we all want the same thing here, don't we? Does it really matter who thinks they have a better claim to pursue justice? If that's the issue, than we'll be here for weeks debating and it will make no difference either way. I am not asking you to like each other; not even I believe a miracle like that could occur. All I'm asking is that you somehow work together. Otherwise, Henri will have won without even having to fight for it. Is that what any of you want?"

Silence and it seemed as though Carlisle's words had hit home on the four vampires who seemed the most ready to do violence. However, to the surprise of both Josef and Karlie, it was Lance who stepped back first and allowed his face to return to its human form. He was even laughing. "Pacificateur, Carlisle. The peacemaker still after all of this time?"

"It's been a skill that I have often had need of." Said Carlisle.

Josef and Karlie had resumed their human appearances, and they seemed to have grudgingly accepted Carlisle's words. However, it seemed very unlikely that this event would produce any long-lasting friendships between French and German bloodlines any time soon. "No on wants Henri taken care of more than I do." huffed Josef, "I suppose I may have to put up with the fact that I may not be the one to kill him."

"I suspect it will be first come, first served on that head, Josef." Said Frederic, "And if it comes to that, you will have to be a good loser."

"I hate to tell you this, Josef." Said Mick, "But I intend to get to him first. After all the things he's done to Beth I think that I have a better claim than you do to him."

Lance smirked when he heard the mention of Beth's name. "So, Beth Turner is still in the picture, is she? That will certainly interest Coraline."

Mick tensed and stared at Lance with a baleful expression. "Leave Beth out of this, all right? She's already been hurt enough by your family, first Coraline and now Henri. Why can't you just leave her alone?"

"Do you honestly think that I care about your romantic endeavors?" said Lance, in an almost bored tone. "I see that you do not yet know. Alexandre was none to happy about Coraline's little attempt to steal the compound. As part of her punishment, Coraline's marriage to you has been officially dissolved. As we are no longer related by ties of marriage, than it is of little concern to me if you want to spend the rest of your existence with human carry-out."

Mick, who had been surprisingly cool-headed through most of this exchange, suddenly tensed up with anger at the insult to Beth. But Frederic put a hand on his shoulder and said in a low voice. "Enough Mick. Don't let it bother you. You are free of Coraline; let that be enough for you."

"Frederic is right, Mick." said Josef, "Maybe, if we try to cooperate, this whole thing will be over faster and we might all be able to go our separate ways."

Lance smirked when he heard this. "Normally I would say that you reputation for superb hospitality was lacking Josef. However, in this case, I happen to agree with you, so we will say no more about it."

* * *

A little short, I know. But not only have the holidays been crazy, but I have been going through some writer's block with this part of the story. It is nearing the end of the story, and I have an ending in mind, I just don't know how to get there. It's very frustrating. Please, do drop a review, though. It will probably inspire me.


	34. Uneasy Alliance

Uneasy Alliance:

Cooperation is not always the easiest of things to accomplish. However, the most difficult time to cooperate is between parties who have nothing in common and no reason to trust each other, but are driven together by circumstances which are beyond their control. However, without cooperation, most of the time nothing but sheer disaster will follow.

Such was the case between the Duvalls and the vampires who lived in LA. There was a tenuous peace between the two groups out of the necessity of the present situation, but that by no means meant that they could ever become friends. It was perhaps a good thing that the leveling influence of Frederic and Carlisle were there, otherwise there would have been a fight, and the proceedings would have ended before they had started.

As it was, the evening produced a plan which they all hoped would mark the end of the last hellish few weeks. It started with Carlisle revealing that he had something which could very give them an advantage.

"While I normally wouldn't suggest following Henri's example, yet, in this instance, I must say that we can perhaps take a page from his book. It's hard to catch an enemy that you cannot see."

"What are you suggesting?" asked Josef.

"I mean that I know how Henri managed to mask his scent from all of you. Quite ingenious really. He must have gotten access to some of the notes I made back in the 1700's, when I was studying for the cure. A by-product of one of the garlic plants produces a chemical which dampens the scent of vampires. Once injected it can stay in the bloodstream for nearly twelve hours. It's been my experience that vampires hunt or detect with scent first. It's the strongest of our enhanced senses. Without out it, we are at a fundamental disadvantage."

"So, Henri knew that he would deliberately be weakening us." Said Mick, "The guy's clever, I'll have to give him that. He thought of everything right down to the last detail."

"That still does not alter the fact that he failed." Said Lance, "However, I think that I know what you are getting too, Carlisle. If you can replicate whatever this by-product is than we can use it to flush out Henri without him being aware until it is too late."

"Yes, but we also shouldn't be underestimating him. Henri might be half mad but he is still fiendishly clever."

"Which leads us into the next problem," said Mick, whose Private Investigator instincts had been peaked. He had worked man stake-outs before, and he knew that one always needed a plan before going into confront the bad guy. "We may have established the fact that whichever one of us finds him first will finish him off, but we can't just dash in there and hope to tackle him by chance. We all need to know where the other one is, and for once, I think we should put out animosity aside and attempt to work together."

"I can cooperate if Lance can." Said Josef.

"Oh, I can assure you that you will have my full cooperation for this part, provided that we can trust age to set a good example."

Karlie poked Josef in the ribs, none to lightly. "Josef, behave. This is difficult enough without the two of you descending into the petty squabbling of toddlers."

"Listen to you woman, Koston." Said Victorine, "And Lance, follow her advice. She does know what she is talking about."

"May I suggest, for the sake of keeping the peace," said Carlisle, "Whatever choice you make, place me and Lance in a position where our chances of getting him are a little less advantageous."

This earned him several astonished looks from the group, and Lance looked as if he were about to object, but Carlisle said, "Lance, our options are somewhat limited. I know you want Henri dead, but our hands might as well be tied. The truth of the matter is that a swift end to this might be the only way this problem can be solved. If you were to take him back to France to Alexandre take care of him, that might give Henri a chance to escape again. Do you want to risk that?"

"Not particularly." Lance admitted grudgingly, "But that still does not replace the satisfaction I would have had at finishing this matter within the family."

"Okay, can we backtrack a little, because I'm getting confused." Said Karlie, "Why are your hands tied?"

Lance and Carlisle exchanged looks. "That is treading upon the veil of family secrets." Said Lance.

"Well, if you hadn't been keeping secrets about Henri escaping then we wouldn't be in this situation right now." said Frederic, "So perhaps it would be best if you didn't make the same mistake again."

Lance still seemed reluctant to say anything, but Carlisle said, "Well, if you won't tell, Lance then I will." Before Lance could object, he turned to the others and said, "The truth is, none of us in the bloodline are able to kill the other openly, at least, not without causing more trouble then it would be worth in the end."

"What do you mean?" asked Josef.

"Once he had turned all of us, Valentin made all of us swear an oath in the presence of several vampire witnesses, that we would not turn against each other or kill each other. Valentin knew that with such a big family, conflict would inevitably emerge. But he never wanted any of his creations to be destroyed by petty infighting."

"The process of swearing an oath in the presence of so many other vampires would mean that someone besides the family would be watching our actions." Said Lance, "If one of us breaks our oath, that means that it would attract the attention of other powerful vampires in the region. And whoever would be unwise enough to do that, would soon find that that they had a lot of trouble on their hands. The same is especially true for Henri; chances are good that he would have his own trouble to take care of before he could fully enjoy his revenge."

"Promises can be broken." Said Mick, "I think that your sister is proof enough of that."

Lance tensed and shot Mick a death glare, but somehow managed to restrain himself. "Despite what you might think, Mr. St. John, there are some who honor promises made in good faith."

"If Henri is so volatile, I wonder how a simple oath would be able to hold him back." Commented Karlie, "It doesn't seem like him."

"Actually, that is just an indication of how fiendishly clever Henri really is." said Carlisle, "If there had been no restraints upon him, then he could have killed us long ago. The fact that he has been waiting and planning for this tells me that he has been looking for some way to work around the promise he made. And I think I know how he was intending to do it. Henri may not be able to move against us directly, but by indirect means, he knew that he would be safer. That's why he was provoking you, Josef. He was hoping to put the blame on me, and when you moved against me, the others in the Duvall line would have come to help me. Henri would have quietly retired and watched from the sidelines while his family destroyed themselves in a vampire war."

"And if you can't kill each other, just how were you planning on taking care of him?" asked Josef, "Surely you know that Henri is much too dangerous to be allowed to live."

"Well, of course we know that, Josef." Said Lance, "It is true that I wouldn't be able to kill Henri, nor would my brother. However, the promise says nothing about allowing others to do so, in the very direst of circumstances. Henri is clearly guilty and no one would have been able to deny that. However, Alexandre would have simply let someone else take care of the matter."

Such a frank statement of how his brother would be killed did not set well with the rest of the vampires, even Carlisle. He knew that justice had to be done, but the bond of brother hood, on his side at least, was hard to fully suppress. A part of him did not relish the part he would have to play in eliminating permanently the threat of Henri.

"I don't really like the sound of that." said Josef, "Even for my twisted sense of justice, that seems far too dirty."

"Don't pretend that you are innocent in the ways of shedding blood, Josef." Said Lance, "And allow me to point out that however it injures your sense of morals, the promise we made to our sire has allowed the Duvall family to remain in relative harmony and power for the last three hundred years. Henri has really ever been the only problem."

"Which brings us back to the original point of this conversation," said Karlie, "What exactly are we going to do about this?"

"Whatever we do, we will have to act fast." said Mick, "According to what Tina told us, Henri is beginning to suspect that he's been found out. He might be planning a retreat from Los Angeles, while he comes up with a new plan. We have to catch him and stop him before he leaves, otherwise more people will die."

Despite whatever those present might have thought of the relative safety of humans, they could not deny that the vampire population at least was in danger of being exposed. So, they set about forming a plan which they could use to bring Henri down once and for all. It turned that the final plan which they came up with did not satisfy everyone. But, it was a compromise. From the beginning of time, a compromise might be said to be a solution which does not completely satisfy everyone. However, in the face of cooperation among rivals, the events of the past night could probably be considered a success.

* * *

Please, read and review. This was kind of a difficult chapter to write, but I think I managed to make it come out at least half way decently. Now really sure what sort of direction the next chapter will take, so please bear with me, and think of it as a surprise.


	35. Setting the Trap

For some reason, I was having a lot of trouble with this chapter. And then poof, inspiration strikes and I write it in less than two days. Hope you enjoy it!

Setting the Trap:

Henri Duvall had never been a fool. Mad, murderous, resentful, hateful and guilty of planning fratricide he might have been, but never a fool. Even his keepers had had to admit to that. And because Henri was not a fool, that meant that, even if he may not have wanted to accept it at first, he knew that he had, been beaten in this round. Lance had come to LA, and from he suspected, his brother had certainly not come along. He was also suspecting at this point that Karlie Dashwood had somehow managed to survive the fire at her headquarters, and even her husband it seemed had come to actually trust Carlisle. All of his carefully laid plans had come undone, and he was right back where he started. As much as he hated to even consider it, Henri knew when all things were considered, he had no real choice. He had to leave LA. He was by no means giving up his ambition, but he knew that now he would have to regroup, and he would have to be more careful than ever.

Before he left though, he had one last thing to clear up, the matter of a certain Cleaner whom he had recruited to further advance his plans. Tina Ferris had gotten what she wanted out of the situation; she had removed her rival from the scene, and now stood to gain a lot of power. But he was determined that she remember who had made it possible for her to have that power in the first place. He wouldn't have her turning on him and revealing what he had done in LA the very second he left the city.

To that end, he arranged one last meeting with her before he left. It was not in their usual place down by the boardwalk, it was in a more remote section of town, one of the industrial parks which lined the ocean side. He wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be followed, if perhaps St. John and Koston had thought to trail her.

If only that thought had occurred to him sooner. The truth was that Henri had no idea that Tina was being held in custody, and that the phone call he had put into her cell had been monitored by Josef and Mick themselves. They had forced her to agree to the assignation, and she had become integral in their plot to destroy Henri once and for all. Josef, Frederic and Mick would be staked out in one building of the industrial complex that faced the bay area, while Carlisle, Victorine and Lance would be in another that was just inside the entrance to the park, and would give them a clear view of any vehicle entering, leaving or even driving by the complex. Hopefully, if they could coordinate everything and the French/German friction between the two parties wouldn't explode, they would surround Henri, box him in and go in for the kill.

Karlie, not wanting to leave Beth, was not participating in the venture, however much she may have liked too. She just consoled herself with the fact that there would be more fights. She was standing by at the mansion though, ready to send in any help should it be needed.

It was in the middle of the night that the final reckoning would occur. Henri and Anton, by this time the only one left who had come with him from France had not been waiting long when Tina pulled up. "Your message sounded urgent." Said Tina, as she came up to him, and trying her best to hide the slight quavering in her voice. She was caught in an impossible situation, between Henri and Josef. A slight tip of the balance in any direction could very spell her end. She was not, for the first time, beginning to feel regret that she had ever gotten involved in this whole venture in the first place.

In the ware house fronting the bay, Frederic, Mick and Josef watched the unfolding events closely. Tina had been fitted with a wire, so that they could hear what was being said below them. They too were tense, waiting for the right moment to strike. They said nothing to each other, Frederic only saying into the phone they had brought to Carlisle that Tina had made contact with Henri.

At first, Henri did not seem aware that anything was out of the ordinary or that he should be cautious. "It is quite serious." They heard him say to Tina, "I am going to have to leave LA, my presence has been detected and I must get out of the city before I am caught."

Tina nodded. She was no actress and she really didn't know what else she could say. "That is bad news."

"Oh, don't pretend that you are sorry to see me go, this was just a business arrangement from the start. We both know that. However, I just wanted to remind, before I left, of what it was that we had agreed to."

Behind him, Anton suddenly said, "Uh, sir, might I speak with you for a moment, in private."

Henri turned a raised eyebrow on Anton and Anton nodded slightly, as if it were some prearranged signal. Henri turned to Tina. "Excuse me, for just one moment."

He went over to Anton and asked, "What is it?"

"Lower your voice, sir." Said Anton, speaking in French, "I think we might be being watched. I'm certain I saw something move in that warehouse over there."

Henri stole a quick glance at the warehouse that Anton had indicated. He saw nothing there, himself, but he knew that Anton had keen eyesight, even for a vampire, and he was inclined to trust his judgments. "I don't smell anything."

"Nor do I, but all the same, sir, do you really think we should be taking chances?" He looked at Tina meaningfully.

"Perhaps you are right, Anton, perhaps you are right."

This conversation was beyond the range of what Tina's wire was able to pick up and those watching from the warehouse couldn't make out what was being said. "What's going on?" asked Mick.

"I don't know, but this isn't part of the plan." Said Josef, "Looks like we will have to move things around. Frederic, you might want to tell Carlisle and the others to stand by."

Tina was waiting anxiously, wanting nothing more than for this whole interview to be over. And perhaps, she was so distracted by this, that when Henri turned back to her, she saw nothing in his face that would set her on guard. "Anyway, as I was saying, Tina, we had an agreement. We would help each other to achieve our mutual goals, and we would not betray each other in the process. Now, even though I am leaving and I leave you as having your achieved purpose, I expect you to keep to your side of the bargain. Do not think to betray me, of you will be silenced."

Tina's breath caught in her throat. Could he have known? But how? It was that hesitation which cost Tina her life. For Henri, a silence was as good as a guilty verdict. Before Tina knew what had happened, Henri had taken out a gun and shot her directly in the heart. Tina only had time for a startled gasp, before she collapsed to the ground, dead. "You can thank my brother for showing me how to really kill you with silver." Said Henri, ironically, thinking nothing of the cold blooded murder that he had just committed. "It's nothing personal. You were merely a liability that needed to be silenced."

Anton came up to him. "Now, what do we do?"

"We have to be fast. Split up, leave the car here for them to find. Meet me at the airport in the morning. We have to get out of LA tonight."

Up in the warehouse, Frederic, Carlisle and Mick had watched the scene in shock. "I think this means we have to accelerate our plans." Said Josef, "We can't have them escaping."

Mick's eyes had already gone silver and he was growling in anticipation. "I don't know about you, Josef, but I say that we take the opportunity while we have it."

"Good idea, Mick." He looked at Frederic, "Frederic, tell them that we're going in and they had better not get in our way."

Before Frederic could say any word of caution, Mick and Josef were off and running, predators of the darkness searching for their prey. Frederic sighed deeply, knowing that there was no controlling his son when he got his mind on vengeance. He opened the phone and said, "Carlisle, you might want to let Lance and Victorine know that there had been a change of plans. Josef and Mick are pursuing Henri. Anton is headed directly for you."

To his surprise, it was not Carlisle who answered, but Lance, "I wish I could have wished Josef luck. He was always rather impulsive."

"Lance, where is Carlisle?"

"A slight change of plans on our side, as well, Frederic. Carlisle has just disappeared."

* * *

When vampires were hunting, their prey was never safe. Like sharks, their senses were unparalleled and they were relentless in their search. And when the intended quarry happened to be another vampire, the stakes were upped, but it was always the same: the vampire pursuer always got what they wanted. And, in this case, Henri would find that he was playing a losing game.

Henri knew that he had a slim chance of escape, but he had never been one to surrender. He would either escape, or he would die fighting. For him, those were the only two options. He had found himself in one of the warehouses of the industrial park, and all around him there were massive trunks and other vehicles that hauled the cement and gravel of the industrial park to the construction projects around the city. He was not aware of the fact that he was being trailed until he saw something out of the corner of his eye, a flash of dark shadow that was moving at a high rate of speed amongst the still, angular shadows that surrounded him in the warehouse. He came to an immediate stop, and looked around him. He saw nothing but he knew that he could not simply dismiss it, there was too much at stake for him to ignore it. He would have to stand and fight.

That was his plan at any rate. However, it was hard to engage your enemy in combat when you couldn't locate them. "Are you going to show yourselves?" He asked, to the darkness, "I know that you're there."

A voice issued at him from out of the darkness, a voice that t he recognized as belonging to Josef Koston. "Bravo, Henri. We were wondering when you would pick up on that fact."

The voice had issued from his left, Henri whirled in that direction, but there was nothing that he could see. He inhaled again, but he could smell nothing. Suddenly, Josef spoke again, from above him, "What's the matter?" He taunted from an unseen direction, "Are you finding yourself at a disadvantage?"

Henri looked up, but almost immediately Mick St. John's voice issued from the left. "There is a risk in creating weapons which can hide your presence form the vampire world, Duvall. There will always be the risk that they can turn on you."

Henri began to understand what was happening. But such was his nature that he was not afraid, merely annoyed. "So, Carlisle learned how to duplicate the compound, did he? Truly ingenious. I might have understated him all these centuries."

"You did, actually." Said Mick, now coming from behind Henri, "I think we could all say we did."

"But that's not important now, is it?" said Josef, from the right once more, "We have other things to discuss."

Henri's eyes went silver, and his fangs extended. He may have been the hunted, but he would by no means be prey. "There is only way this can end, Koston, St. John. I think we both know that. Are you going to show yourselves, or will I have to come and find you?"

"Now, I think that would hardly be fair." Said Josef and Henri did not even have to turn around to know that he had appeared behind him.

"Yes, I think we'll do this the fair way." Said Mick, who appeared in Henri, fully vamped and with murder evident in his eyes. "I think that we have several scored to settle."

A brief moment of tension reined in the space between them. What it was that broke it, neither Josef nor Mick would have been able to say, but the first move turned out to be Mick's.

Mick lounged forward, aiming for Henri's throat, but Henri managed to side step him, and brought his fist down on Mick's back. Mick fell heavily; Henri was on him before he could react. Henri had his hand on Mick's throat, and seemed ready to bite him, but Josef came from Henri's bind side. He grabbed hold of Henri's shoulders and threw him off Mick. Henri flew through the air and landed nearly a hundred feet away.

Josef was after him, and the two exchanged savage blows to the face and body. Growls rent the air of the once silent warehouse. Enraged shrieks filled the air, blows landed with nearly bone-shattering force. Mick had managed to recover himself and now launched himself into the fight with a howl. Henri pushed Josef away just in time to face Mick's assault. For what seemed like hours, the fight raged back forth between the three opponents. For awhile, it was Mick against Henri and then Henri fighting against Josef. As long as the two of them were separated, Henri could feel like he had some sort of control in the fight. His real danger would come if Mick and Josef became able to gang up on him together.

Henri was undoubtedly a strong vampire, and he was now cornered and fighting for his life. That made him a very dangerous opponent, but in the end, it was still two against one. The outcome was inevitable.

Eventually, Josef and Mick were able to take advantage of the fact that Henri was alone. He could not watch himself all the time. Mick pushed Henri viciously to the hard cement floor. Henri was temporarily dazed, and as he scrambled to his feet, he did not see what was going on before him. Josef landed behind him, letting out a cold roar of rage. He grabbed for Henri's shoulders. Despite all his struggling, Josef's grip was like that of a vice and he would not be shaken off. As he held the struggling Henri with his arms pinned to his sides, Mick came up to him, his eyes white and deadly. He grabbed Henri by the shoulders and sank his fangs into Henri's neck. To his credit, Henri never did stop fighting till the last; perhaps the only way he could truly have been stopped for his head to be ripped off. And he never uttered a cry. To the last, it maybe said, that he was a son of the Duvall line.

But that mattered very little to Mick and Josef. Their enemy was defeated. Mick let go of the head, and it rolled down to the ground, leaving a gory trail of blood in its wake. Josef pushed the body away from him, snarling in acute distaste.

It was finally over.

* * *

Amanda had been expecting a call that night. Carlisle had told her that they were making a move against Henri. What she had not been expecting to find when she arrived at the industrial complex was Carlisle leaning with his hands against the door of his car, heaviness about his shoulders which Amanda understood without having to hear a word.

She told her team to be on standby and went over to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, softly, "Are you all right?"

Carlisle nodded wordlessly. "I didn't want to be there when he was killed." He said, so soft that it was barely audible. "I knew how it would end, and I know that it had to be done, but I never wanted it, never. He was still my brother; for all that he was a mad murderer who would have killed me the first chance he got."

"Some people would call that natural." Responded Amanda, with a rare gentle smile. "It shows what kind of man you are."

Carlisle turned to her and hugged her close. "I just hope that I will never have to live through it again."

They remained that way until they both smelled the approach of Victorine and Lance. Amanda looked at them both with some amount of trepidation. She had not gotten a chance to meet the two of them, as she had been busy picking up the mess that Tina had left behind. And any person who did not know Lance would have been wise to treat with apprehension at first sight. He and Victorine stopped when they saw that Carlisle's arms were around Amanda's waist and they tightened however fractionally in a clearly protective grasp at the sight of the two of them.

"Well, may I assume that this is Amanda Greyson?" said Lance, with a smile when he spoke at last.

"Yes, that assumption would be correct. Amanda, this is my brother Lance, and his wife, Victorine. Don't worry, he is not so bad. When you are forced to live with him for a hundred years, he becomes almost bearable."

"You flatter me, Carlisle." Said Lance, "It seems I will have to make my own case to the lady." He turned to Amanda. "A pleasure to meet you. My brother seems to have shown good taste in his choice of companion."

"Lance has told me quite a lot about you over the years." said Amanda, "I have to say, though, he never said that you were married."

"Oh, it's a recent development." Said Victorine, with a smile, "It only happened during the 1940's, and for both of us, it came as rather a surprise."

"That sounds like a story which I would like to hear." Said Amanda.

"I do wish that we could stay longer, but I am afraid that time is pressing." Said Lance, "The business we came for is taken care of. Victorine and I just disposed of Anton and as I understand it, Mick and Josef have had their revenge on Henri."

Carlisle flinched visibly at those words, and a look of pain flashed briefly in his eyes. Lance saw it, but decided it would be best not to take note of it. He knew his brother's tendencies, which he sometimes did not understand, but which he knew better than to try and change.

"So, are you leaving then?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes, I'm afraid that Josef will not tolerate our presence in his city for very much longer."

"He would not even make an exception for family." Said Carlisle, "I was hoping to see you longer, and who knows when I will the chance again."

"Oh, you will have the chance far sooner then you think. It's time that the vampire world knew of your true innocence in this matter, something I will be seeing too when I return, I promise you. It's time for you to stop hiding, brother, and begin embracing what you have always been."

Carlisle was touched by this display of solidarity in his brother. And he knew how fortunate he was; it was something that Lance very rarely did for anyone. He stepped forward and grasped Lance's hand and he said, "Thank you, brother."

Lance smiled. "When this whole mess is cleared up, come visit us in France. The family has missed you more than you might think and they would love to see you." He looked at Amanda, "Bring your friend, too. I think Alexandre especially would love to meet her."

"Meet her if he must, but he must be aware, Lance, Amanda is one aspect of my life that is not negotiable."

"Strange, I said the exact same thing to him about Victorine." He stepped back and said, "Well, I think we had better be going. We will be leaving in the morning. Come and see us off if you wish." He looked one last time at Amanda and bowed slightly. "Welcome to the family." With that, he and Victorine turned and walked off into the night, disappearing into the blackness after a few steps.

Amanda and Carlisle watched the place where they had gone. "Well, that was certainly interesting." Said Amanda.

"Don't worry," said Carlisle, with a smile, "I do think that Lance actually liked you."

* * *

Please read and review. We are almost finished with this story, only a few more loose ends to tie up, that will hopefully be taken care of in the next few chapters.

Next chapter: The threat of Henri is finally taken care of, but what does the future hold for the rest of our beloved characters. How will life progress now that life is sort of back to normal?


	36. A new Beginning

This marks the end of Family Feud. I have really enjoyed working on this story, and creating more characters to populate the wonderful world of Moonlight. I hope that these last few chapters prove to be a satisfactory ending. Have fun reading.

A New Beginning:

Los Angeles had certainly seen a lot of action over the past few weeks. Things were only now beginning to settle down. The evidence of Henri's activities had been erased so that the humans would not be any the wiser that a murdering mad men had been in the city, and that they had narrowly avoided being at the very center of a vampire war. However, there were still some very clear signs of the trouble that Henri had caused. The repairs to Dashwood's main headquarters were among them, and it would probably be more than a few months before it could operate at top capacity. And then, of course, there was the darker reminder of Beth's injury, and that Henri had not left this life without shedding blood.

However, there was also a great deal of hope to be found in the aftermath of Henri's defeat. Though Beth was injured, she made a very rapid recovery, and was able to walk little less than a few weeks after she had been shot. Of course, recuperating at Mick's place was also sort of a bonus. A dangerous threat to the vampire community had been eliminated in the form of Tina Ferris, and Amanda had decided that she was going to select the new Cleaner herself, and she would be sure that Tina's replacement could be trusted.

But perhaps, the greatest change of all came in what happened to Carlisle. It was a sort of change which was immediately obvious, and a great deal of it took a little time to manifest itself. It began when there were rumors around the community that a message had been sent out from the head of the Duvall family in France, saying that Carlisle Duval was, in fact, innocent of the charges against him, and that he was an honored member of the community. As such, he should not be kept from living in any city that he desired, unless an unwise Elder decided that he wanted to make a certain enemy of the French royal bloodline.

This declaration of innocence may have come as a surprise to some members of the community and it would be a few months before the idea fully settled into the minds of those who heard it. In Los Angeles, it was not so much of a surprise to hear, especially after all he had done to help them. But the question of his future there was as yet one that needed an answer. But it would find its answer on the day that Frederic left LA.

Frederic Braun had served his purpose in coming to Los Angeles. He had helped his son fight against a threat which might have cost him his life. That the threat had turned out to be a little different that he had imagined was beside the point. His wisdom and experience had been invaluable. What was worth more, though, was that he had become a good friend and confidant to the community of Los Angeles. And to some of them, he had become something more than just a friend.

Frederic said goodbye to Mick, Beth, Josef and Karlie at the mansion. Beth was already back on her feet, hobbling around on a set of crutches. They were all sad to see the 627 year old vampire leave them, and the feeling was mutual. When Frederic shook hands with Mick, he said, "This has been a most enlightening trip. I never thought that I would be able to say that one of the people who Coraline turned has not only earned my respect, but also my friendship. I trust that this won't be the last time that we meet, Mick St. John."

"I never thought that I would get the chance to meet Josef's sire." Said Mick, "But now that I do, I can see a lot where a lot of Josef's qualities came from, well all the good ones anyway. I still need to figure out where he got all of the negative ones that drive me crazy."

"Yes, I have often wondered that myself." Said Frederic, "I always like to think that he had those before I turned him."

"If that's the case," said Josef, "then you, as my sire, should have been more responsible for teaching me to correct them."

Frederic gave the sigh which is customary to all parents whose children drive them to distraction. "Children these days are so ungrateful for the sacrifices which their parents make." He looked at both Karlie and Beth with a smile, "But I do have some hope with you two to guide these wayward males to behave themselves. You will see to it that they behave properly?"

"I'll try, but after fifty years, I am almost beginning to lose hope." Said Karlie, "Luckily, I do love a challenge."

"Mick hasn't been that much of a problem so far, most of the time." said Beth, "But, if he does start to act up, I think that I can teach him his place."

"I have no doubt that you can, Beth Turner." Said Frederic, "I must tell you, humans often have a fault of not thinking themselves to be as strong as they think they could be. You are one of those rare people who has the ability to not only sense that strength, but make use of it for the betterment of others. In fact, I don believe that you might be one of the strongest people which I have ever met in my existence. And because of that, I think that your future hold great promise."

Beth felt rather giddy at that compliment. "Thank you, Frederic. I have a lot of people who expect great things from me. I will try to not let any of them down."

"I have no doubt that you will not." Frederic took one of her hands and kissed the back of it. He was always the first to embrace new trends, and ordinarily a hand shake would have sufficed just as well. However, there were some traditions which he liked to hold onto. He had always treated ladies with respect, and Beth was probably the lady most deserving of respect that he had ever met.

When he had finished saying his goodbyes to Mick and Beth, Frederic went with Josef and Karlie to the front doors of the mansion, and he then turned to Josef. "Josef, it was wonderful seeing you again. It must not be another one hundred years until I visit you again."

"I hope that there will be some more incentive to visit this time." said Josef, glancing at Karlie.

"I don't think you will need to doubt that, Josef." Said Frederic, turning a smile on Karlie that he had only reserved for Josef on his visit, the smile of an affectionate and proud parent for a dear child, "As I think I told you, Karlie, you are the only one who Josef has ever been with that I would be able to say was as close to me as any I have turned. Watch out for this one, meine Tochter."

Karlie could not help but smile. Ever since the death of her father, she had sometimes missed having that sense of a parental figure in her life. Though Frederic could not replace the father that she had lost, where is it written that there can only be father or mother figure in the lives that we lead? What was more, Josef had told her that Frederic did not use such terms of filial devotion unless he truly meant it, so the gesture of being called his daughter meant a lot to her. She stepped forward and gave him a hug. Frederic was like Josef in that he was not used to such intimate shows of affection, not even from Josef. For a moment, he seemed almost unsure how to return the embrace. But when he did put his arms around her, he returned it wholeheartedly.

"No, I shall not be so lax in paying my respects now that you have a woman in your life. Or better yet, you should come visit me, and bring Mick and Beth. The castle in Germany is always open to you."

"We will certainly consider that." said Josef, with a smile.

At this point, Frederic suddenly noticed that a car had pulled up in front of the mansion. The two men were a bit surprised to see Carlisle getting out of his car. "Did you invite him to come?" asked Frederic, "I mean, I was hoping to see him before I left, but I wasn't expecting it him here."

"I didn't say anything to him." said Josef.

They both looked at Karlie, who was doing her very best to look very innocent, which was difficult when she looked a bit more like the cat who ate the canary. "Darling, you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this?" said Josef.

"Well, I might have said something about it to him a few hours ago." she said, smiling a little. "I just wanted to be sure that all which had been said could be having an opportunity to be said."

Frederic could only smile. "She is good for you, Josef." He said, "She keeps you on your toes."

When Carlisle came into the room, Josef said, "Nice to see you, Carlisle. Even if I didn't know of it until about ten seconds ago."

"Well, if it weren't for the women in our lives," said Carlisle, "then I doubt that we men would be getting anywhere."

"I knew that there was a reason why I trusted you before anyone else." said Karlie.

Frederic was looking at Carlisle closely, and when he spoke, it was with a tone of true respect, "It is not often that I find a situation or a person that challenges me to change my perceptions. I never thought that I would say this to a member of the Duvall line, but I am proud to say that I count you as my ally, Carlisle Duvall."

Carlisle returned Frederic's look of respect, he then held out his hand and shook Carlisle's. "I am honored to hear that from you, Carlisle. I hope that it's not the last time that we meet."

"It won't be." said Frederic, with a smile, "I have a good feeling about it." He shared one last affectionate look with Karlie and then turned to Josef, "Well, Josef, time is pressing, and I suppose I should be getting back to Germany. Could I speak with you for just open moment?"

Josef, a little puzzled, followed Frederic out of the mansion to the door of the limo. Before he got back in, Frederic turned to Josef and said, "Josef, you are family, so I know you will understand when I say that you would be a total idiot if you let Carlisle leave this city to set his new reputation somewhere else."

Josef had not necessarily been expecting to hear this from his sire. "What are you talking about?"

"Josef, can you not see it? Carlisle now has the opportunity to show the community what he is really made of. He has great gifts which I believe will be benefit us in more ways then one. What's more, I think that he would like to stay here. It would be easier for him to be accepted if you offered him your protection, publicly."

Josef considered this for a moment, before he said, "You might have a point, Frederic. But I was already going to let him stay."

Frederic smiled, "There might be hope for you yet, Josef." He took Josef's hand and then got into the car. "Look out for yourself, mein Sohn."

When the limo pulled away, Josef went back into the mansion, only to find that Carlisle was standing there, looking out the window at the departing limo. He was alone. "I hope that whatever your sire had to say, it was nothing about me." he said.

"It might have been actually." Said Josef, "He wanted me to let you stay here in Los Angeles."

"Ah, I see. I must confess, I have been wondering about that myself. You once did want me out of the city entirely, without even giving me a fair hearing."

"And I suppose you also know that until people start to think of you as a do-gooder, offering you protection publicly could cost me a lot of trouble." Said Josef, with a smirk, "Though, I have never allowed the opinion of other people to sway me in my decisions."

"Not even your sire, or your wife for that matter? I happen to know that she might have been petitioning rather heavily for my sake."

"Perhaps I should have said I never allow the opinion of unimportant people to sway my decisions. I suppose that the only other question to consider would be, do you even want to stay here in LA at all?"

"Yes, I think that I would. It has bee a long time since I have felt so secure in one place. The people that I care for most are here, and I must confess I have some ideas of what I could do now that my name has been cleared. Of course, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you in anyway. So, are you going to allow me to stay?"

Josef grinned. "For a man who graduated multiple times from Harvard, I'm surprised that you would be asking such silly questions. Of course, I want you to stay. I know that this whole business with Henri wouldn't have been cleared up without your help. I also probably know that I owe you one for helping Karlie and Beth when they were attacked by him. The least I can do is let you stay here unmolested."

"In that case, I do have something that I would like to ask you. It's true, most of Henri's experiments were for the sake of doing evil. I won't pursue the compound which masked the scent of other vampires, I fear that would open up to many doors which are better left closed."

"You know, I have an unsettling feeling we might not have seen the last of something like that. If someone like your brother could manage to do it, I'm certain others will be able to. But what were you thinking of?"

"Merely that there was one area of his research which I think would be worth exploring: the drug which caused unconsciousness. It has been in the back of my mind ever since I found out about it. Right now, the only safe way to restrain a vampire is with a stake, a messy business which causes considerable pain. I think there might be a way to refine the drug which Henri designed, making it less of a weapon and more of a medicine."

"Meaning a tranquilizer?"

"Yes, that was my exact thought. It might not be the most revolutionary of medicines, but I think it would be a great help to the community if used rightly."

Josef had to admit that he found Carlisle's enthusiasm to be somewhat amusing. It seemed that Frederic was right: Carlisle did have a lot to offer to the vampire word. All he had needed was a chance to prove himself. "Well, you have me intrigued, Carlisle. See what you can do about on it. I might want to see something soon."

Carlisle smiled. "Thank you, Josef, for everything."

"Please, don't get sentimental on me. The only thing I will say is that now I know for sure whose side you're on, it's going to be nice knowing that it's on mine."

"You can be assured of that, Josef."


	37. Epilogue

Epilogue:

If you live for as long as centuries, you begin to notice things about the phenomenon known as time; you notice how it begins to move in a circular fashion. People and places keep coming back, and where one life ends, another will invariably begin. The whole adventure with Henri had begun at the vampire club Twilight and Dusk. It was there that Carlisle had seen Amanda for the first time in eighty years. It was there that he had first begun a new life. So, it was only natural that time should come full circle to the very same club, where Amanda and Carlisle allowed themselves a little celebration.

At a table at the back of the club, the two of them shared a bottle of the establishment's fines scotch. "According to George," said Amanda, as Carlisle poured their glasses, "This scotch is supposed to be from around the time we were separated."

"The 1920's, you mean?" said Carlisle, "Well, then, I would say that this appropriate."

"I wouldn't give it too much credence. George is a wonderful proprietor, but he is also a shameless romantic. He heard about our story, and I think that he might have made this whole thing up."

"Still, the thought is nice. Why should we spoil it for him, or for us?"

"For us?" said Amanda, with a smile, "I think that I like the sound of that."

"To us, then." Said Carlisle, as the two of them touched their glasses and drank. "Perhaps it might not be from eighty years ago, but it's still very good."

"I said that George often exaggerated where his stock comes from for the sake of romance, I never meant to imply that the quality suffered at all because of it." Suddenly, she noticed someone who had entered the club, and her smile faded. "Oh no."

"What?" Carlisle turned to see that Josef and Karlie, Mick and Beth had just come into the club. "What's the matter?"

"Only that I think I know why they are here. You know that they will want to join us."

"Would that be such a bad thing?"

"No, I guess not, but I was hoping to have you all to myself this evening."

"Well, what are we going to do? It would hardly befit the dignity of a Cleaner or a doctor from the French Royal house to sneak out the back, would it?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I won't consider it."

'Oh, come now, Amanda. Be sociable. I wouldn't mind. Don't forget how much I owe Josef for letting me stay here. And besides, you will have me all to yourself later tonight."

Amanda managed a smile. "Is that a promise?"

"Better. It's a guarantee."

"In that case, perhaps, I could put up with a few extra faces at the table."

Amanda's prediction turned out to be perfectly accurate. It took maybe all of one minute for Josef and his guests to spot Amanda and Carlisle. They immediately made a beeline for the table. "Hi there, you two," said Josef, "mind if we join you?"

"I would have minded a few minutes ago, but Carlisle persuaded me to think that maybe your presence wouldn't be such a bad idea after all." said Amanda.

"Really," said Josef, as the four of them sat down, "I would like to know how he managed to do that."

"But you won't be getting that, Josef, now or at any other time." said Carlisle. "So, if I may ask, what brings you here tonight?"

"Nothing, other then the fact that I wanted to make sure you were fitting in all right." said Josef.

"Actually," said Mick, "He just happened to pick out this club, and when we walked in and saw you, Josef wanted to see you."

Josef shot Mick a glare. "Thank you for that, buddy."

"Anytime, Josef. Just keeping you real and everything."

"And if there is one thing that Josef hates, it's being reminded that he is actually real." Said Karlie.

"That's why I like Mick," said Beth, "He doesn't have any grandiose ideas about himself."

"Thank you for that, honey." Said Mick, as he put his arm around her, and kissed her hair.

"If my calculations are right, Beth, you should be up and walking again in just a few weeks." Said Carlisle, "You have probably recovered quicker than most humans would from a gun shot wound."

"I've never liked being kept on my feet." Said Beth, "When I was young, I broke my leg when I fell out of a tree. The doctors said I would be fully recovered in two months, I was better in about one."

"With that kind of drive and tenacity, you are pretty much guaranteed to succeed at anything which you try for." Said Carlisle, admiringly.

"Speaking of succeeding at anything which you strive for," said Mick, "there has been something which I have been meaning to ask you, Carlisle."

"What is that?"

"You were the one who developed the cure for vampirism. I know that it wasn't permanent, but I was just wondering if…" He trailed off, aware of the fact that Josef was looking at him in obvious disapproval. Mick did not mean to remind Josef of the time when he had been human for a few short weeks, but he still could not help himself. He still sometimes wished that he could be human, if only for Beth's sake.

However, Carlisle was already shaking his head. "I know what you would ask, Mick. But I am afraid that it is impossible. The original garlic plant which I used to synthesize the cure is now extinct, and I never was able to find another with the right genetic structure which would compensate for the loss. Besides, Alexandre forbade me to ever experiment with such a thing again. I am sorry I must give you such an answer, especially since I understand your desires. But this is perhaps for the best."

"Yes, it is." said Josef, "Let it go, Mick. You have too much to live for now. Enjoy the time you have and let the future take care of itself."

Beth looked deeply into Mick's eyes. "I fell in love with you, Mick. And that wouldn't have changed no matter if you were vampire or human. Please, don't let that come between us."

Mick knew that his friends were right. Now that the cure seemed well and truly beyond his reach, he should let it go. If there was one thing having Beth in his life had taught him, it was that worrying about might be could take away from all that he had now. He managed a smile and said. "Human or vampire, I will always try to be worthy of you. And if that means accepting the cure is gone, then that's what I'll do."

"Good, now that's out of the way," said Josef, "I think a toast is in order."

"We've already had one, but I don't suppose that there is a rule which says there can only be one toast." Said Amanda.

"Of course not," said Josef, "not with great scotch like this. Now, what should we drink too?"

"I should think that that would have been obvious." Said Carlisle, "The future seems to be me to be the only appropriate subject worthy of a toast, considering the circumstances which have brought as all here tonight."

"I like the sound of that." said Josef.

"I have no objections if no one else does." Said Karlie.

And it seemed that no one did. Six glasses came together and six voices said together, "To the future." And once again, Carlisle was right. We may not ever know where the future will take us, but it will always lead to adventures we cannot begin to be aware of. And in the world of vampires, where the possibilities were ever endless, the future was a very appropriate thing to remember indeed.

* * *

And that is the end of Family Feud. I hope that everyone enjoyed reading as I had fun writing it. And speaking of the future for me, I am going to be focusing on Viva Las Vegas for the time being. There will be a lot of twists and turns in that story, so keep on the watch. In the next few months, I will hopefully have a brand new story up, Sins of the Father. In between all that, I might have try a few one shots if the mood strikes me. In the meantime, please accept this humble little Valentine's gift, and I look forward to reading what you think. For right, thank you for reading.


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